Telepath Wolf (Season 2)
by Healer
Summary: Part 2 in my B5 Telepath Wolf series. Susan/Talia Ivanova is a werewolf who was banned from her pack when she joined Earthforce. When her father dies she is named Alpha of the pack. Now, on B5 Susan is first attracted to Talia and then falls in love with her, but Susan is wary and closed off due to Talia being part of PsiCorps
1. Chapter 1

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_I present to you all Telepath Wolf Season 2, starting where B5's Season 2 started, so we're gonna go at it from there._

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 01 (27)**_

_**Healer**_

After the death of President Santiago, Commander Sinclair was asked to head back to Earthdome which meant I was in charge of the station. By January 12 of 2259 I was up to my head with paperwork and everything that meant running the station. I was actively doing the job of three people: The CO of B5, my own as XO of the station, and the Security Chief of the station. Granted, I had Lt JG Corwin helping me out and acting as XO while I acted as CO, and Garibaldi's Second officially taking his place, but they both were still green in that area.

"Status report, Lt Commander Susan Ivanova, recording" I started my daily report to Earthdome "It is now 12 days since the death of the Earth Alliance President Louis Santiago and 9 days since Commander Sinclair was recalled to Earth without explanation" I paused for a moment, thinking that since then the whole place had gone straight to hell. The only reason we had security under control in the station was because my pack was helping out to prevent crimes, but still I had to deal with all the official bullshit that the Ambassadors put me through. And this increase of what I concluded were my telepathic abilities was not helping, I could by then get strong thoughts and they were usually the cause for my daily headaches. I had tried to do as Talia suggested to Alisa when she woke up in the Medlab facilities, to build a wall of bricks in my mind behind my eyes, which was helpful to a certain degree but strong emotions and stray strong thoughts still got past it. I could only conclude that I was paying off Karma at a vastly accelerated rate. "Security Chief Michael Garibaldi remains in critical condition in Medlab. Dr Franklin's doing all he can, but still no sign of recovery. As for Ambassador Delenn, well, something's going on in her quarters, that's for sure" I ended the recording and headed to the Dome. I knew with certainty that Ambassador Delenn was in some sort of cocoon, and had been since New Year's Eve. I had not reached CnC yet when my link chirped. "Ivanova" I answered it

"We got a Gold Channel message for you" informed me Corwin "It's from General Hague" he added hastily

"I'll take it in the briefing room" I told Corwin sighing. As I walked into the briefing room I straightened my uniform, conscious that this was going to be an awkward conversation. "Computer, accept the decode Gold Channel signal" A few seconds later the screen in front of me turned on and General Hague's face came into view.

"Lt Commander, this may be breaking the chain in Command, but I've got some news and I thought I should deliver those news myself" He said in a serious tone "Your commanding officer, Commander Sinclair, will not be returning to Babylon 5, he's been reassigned, permanently"

"With all due respect" I said interrupting him "What do you mean you are reassigning Commander Sinclair? Reassigning him where?"

"To the Mimbari Homeworld" he said "The Mimbari specifically requested Sinclair"

"But why him?"

"That information is strictly in a need-to-know-basis" And God, how I hate those words. Several accidents and misunderstandings in the galaxy could have been prevented if people didn't use that line as often as we do "I've already briefed Captain Sheridan about the situation" continued the General

"Captain Sheridan, John Sheridan?" I asked interrupting him again

"That's right. I believe you know him"

"Yes sir. I served under him in the transport point in IO" I told him "He's a good man and a fine officer, but it's bound to be a controversial choice" I said truthfully. John was the only Earthforce officer that had been able to defeat a Mimbari ship in combat during the war "If I may ask-"

"You may not" Cut me off the General "Any further questions will have to go through you new CO. Good day Lt Commander" he concluded and ended the link.

I sighed and headed to CnC, where I was greeted by a shy Lt JG Corwin "Lt Commander, about the new Captain…"

"Yes, I would like a full guard present when the ship docks" I ordered walking past him

"He's here" said Corwin

"What?" I asked turning to face him

"His Earthforce transport just docked. Apparently there was a miscommunication about it" he explained as I ran past him on my way out.

I made it to Customs just in time to grab a Security guard that was already standing there as John walked to us.

"Welcome aboard sir" I said saluting him. It took John a second to return the gesture with a smile on his face "I'm authorized to surrend the command of Babylon 5 to you at this time" I added partly thankful for the extra hand that I knew now I had and thrilled to have it be John and not some unknown officer

"Thank you Lt Commander. I accept Command. Uhm… there seems to be a problem with the unloaders, can I have my bags delivered to my quarters?" He asked me holding his luggage up

"Of course" I said hurriedly while motioning to the security guard I had grabbed on my way in to comply with John's request

"Thank you" said John to her

"I assume you'd like the quick tour to the facilities?" I asked John while smirking

"Yes, absolutely" he said smirking back

"Right, this way…" I told him and lead him through a corridor in Blue sector to head to the officer's quarters "It's good to see you sir. How was your flight?"

"Fine. They actually had fresh oranges on the transport" He said amazed "I haven't had an orange in almost two years. I used to dream about them, grapes, plums… the blue ones not the red ones. I mean, it's amazing what 2 years in the rim can do to you" He said glad that he was not out there anymore. I could understand him, being so far away and having nowhere to run around would drive my wolf nuts "I bet I will be spending a lot of time in hydroponics" he continued smiling "On the way in I read the station reports trying to catch up on everything. What's our status?"

"Our Chief of Security is in critical condition in Medlab, he thinks there was a conspiracy concerning the President's death" I told him sighing "Ambassador G'Kar has mysteriously vanished. After two years we still don't know what Ambassador Kosh looks like inside of his encounter suite. And… Ambassador Delenn is in a cocoon"

"A cocoon?" Asked me John surprised "As in a moth or a butterfly?" he added a second later

"Yes sir" I told him stopping in our tracks "About this high" I added showing him with my hands the approximately height of said cocoon

"Interesting place you have here" he said chuckling and continuing our stroll through the station

A few minutes later we had covered most of Blue Sector and we arrived to his quarters "And this will be your quarters" I told him as we walked in "I hope they're satisfactory"

"Fine… Certainly a lot bigger to what I'm used to" He said walking to the counter next to the kitchenette where I joined him "Does this place come with a shower?" he asked me above a whisper "with running water and everything?"

"Executive suites and Command quarters all have a real life shower" I explained him amused

"mmmh… a shower" he said dreamily "I may come to like it here" he added walking away to take a look around his new quarters

"Excuse me, but there are some things we need to address" I told him taking a seat on the nearest stool "And most of it is uh… kind of awkward"

"You've never been worried about being diplomatic before" said John smiling turning to face me "don't disappoint me by starting now"

"When I heard about the change in Command I thought we'd be stuck with some high level burocrat, or an Admiral or Ambassador and…" I trailed off

"And why me?" concluded John, I merely nodded "Yeah, I wondered the same thing. Apparently I was the late President's choice to replace Sinclair in case anything happened" he told me taking me by surprise "While commanding the Agamenon I walked with many of the non-aligned worlds, Centauri, Narns, even a few Mimbari"

"That's what I'm most concerned about" I confessed "I mean, the Mimbari aren't going to be exactly thrilled about you running Babylon 5. I hear they still call you 'Star Killer'"

"That was a long time ago!" snapped John "Twelve years! Maybe they've forgotten about it by now" I looked incredulous at him, knowing that he couldn't believe that. "Yeah, I know, I don't believe it either… Well, one thing is sure" he said after a moment "I'll be relying on you pretty heavily these next weeks"

"It certainly couldn't be any worse than the last 2 weeks" I told him "Not with President Santiago's death and everything else"

"How's the crew handling it?"

"They're still pretty shocked. I don't think the reality of it has quite sunken in yet"

"And you?" He asked me concerned taking a sit on the couch

I sighed and stood from the stool walking over to sit across from him "I don't know. I just keep seeing Earthforce 1 blowing up over and over again in my dreams" I sighed again and looked straight into his eyes "You know all my life I thought that I could handle anything and fix any problems, but when I saw that, I realized I couldn't do anything to stop it… I've only felt so helpless once"

"I know, I felt the same way" he said trying to soothe me

"I know the crew needed me to be strong for them" I continued "I've tried, you know I don't like to show weakness." I told him smiling sadly "But with acting as CO trying to run this place, and the Commander being called back to Earth and the Ambassadors yelling…" I sighed again, John nodded slightly "I don't know, I just… let's just say that I'm very happy to see you" I told him smiling back again

"I appreciate that" he said truthfully "And coming from you, it means a lot

"John, how is-?" I asked hesitantly, he instantly knew what I was asking and cut me off

"Good, also captaining a ship across the rim… we bumped into each other about a year ago" he said smiling softly "You are missed you know? I was told you never call" he added smirking

"I have not been called either" I told him "And things are different now" I said thinking about Talia, even if I didn't want that to happen, she was my mate and therefore I could not be with anyone else ever again.

"Lizzy's coming to B5 within a month" Said John as an afterthought "She's still mad at you for calling off your wedding to her best friend"

"You know it was a mutual decision" I told him thinking that it was a decision made thinking about my survival, after all I couldn't marry and live the rest of my life with a Hunter

"Yeah. I still don't understand it, and neither does Lizzy. You two were so into each other, it was the real deal" he said smirking

I sighed and shook my head at his antics "At the time I thought so too, but we realized it wouldn't have worked. And I'm glad that we called it off, if we didn't, I wouldn't be here today" I sighed "I kind of found someone here" He looked surprised but smiled

"That's great Susan, I'd like to meet them" I chuckled at his attitude

"Things are a little complicated, we haven't managed to make it work out… and I don't think we will" I told him

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Well, other than the fact that she… never mind."

"Come on Susan! You can't leave it at that" he said clearly not amused at all.

I shook my head and told him about my father's death and what it had entailed for me and family's business, and how that had not affected and would not affect my duties to Earthforce.

"Well, I'm sorry about your father, but I'm glad for you" he said enveloping me in a warm hug "Let's hope it won't be awkward" he added

"Absolutely.

"Now, about this mystery woman you met here…" he probed

"It's a long story John, we'll go through it at another time. Suffice to say, things are rocky between us" He nodded not asking for more information on that for the moment "By the way, the crew is really looking forward to meet you. They've heard all about you and right now I think they could really use something to smile about"

"Then I won't keep them waiting" he said standing "I'll just grab a fast shower, we'll head up to Command and Control and I'll give them my good luck speech"

"Sir?" I asked confused now, reverting to Earthforce protocol

"It's the same speech I gave when I took command on IO and the Agamenon… It's sort of my… good luck charm" he said shyly "I've always given it within 24hrs of taking on an assignment"

"Well, then I look forward to hearing it" I told him truthfully "Would you mind if I met you in the CnC?" I asked him looking at the time "I have to take care of something" I concluded standing too.

"Of course, see you there in 20 minutes"

I left John's quarters and headed to the Medlab

"Good afternoon Lt Commander" said Dr Franklin without looking up as I walked in. I was surprised he was able to recognize me without being one of us

"How'd you know it was me?" I asked him curious to his methods

"Well, it's 2:45. You always come at 2:45 to see how he's doing" he said simply

"So, How's he doing?" I asked him then

"Still no change. We managed to stabilize his condition to where we think his body can handle. " he sighed "Now all we can do is wait and see if he comes out of the coma. Could be hours, days, weeks-"

"Years? Never?" I asked interrupting him

"Yeah"

"So all we can do is keep up like this, what? Forever?" I needed to know there was something else we could do. I felt responsible for allowing this to happen to him

"Well, the human body is an amazing thing" stated Stephen, I guess, trying to give me hope "It can heal itself, or it can simply decide it's had enough" he added then preparing me for the worse case scenario "That debate is going on Garibaldi's body right now. We just have to wait and see who wins"

"Well then I'll say a prayer to him tonight"

"He's agnostic" said Stephen with a small smile

"Then I'll say half a prayer" I told him smirking before walking out and heading to the Dome.

I bumped into John just around the corner leading to CnC. He was waiting outside, practicing his speech.

"Captain?" I asked him amused

"Ah good" he said straightening and motioning me to head inside before him.

"Captain on deck" was heard by an ensign, prompting everyone in the Dome to stand to attention

"As you were" ordered John walking further in, I stood a few paces behind him "When I was 21 I visited Tibet" he started his speech "I went to see the new Dalai Lama, you do that sort of thing when you're 21 and the son of a diplomatic envoy" he added chuckling "We had a simple dinner, rice, carrots, steamed not boiled, and green tea. When it was over, he looked at me and said 'do you understand?'… I said no, I didn't… 'A good beginning' he said 'you'll be even better when you begin to understand what you don't understand'… After reading some of your reports, I begin to understand what I don't understand about Babylon 5, but I couldn't wish for a more capable and skilled group of people to learn from" continued John, winning over the staff with that speech of his "It was an early Earth President, Abraham Lincoln, who best described our current situation, he said-" He was interrupted due a chirp on the CnC link. An ensign of the lower deck took the call "Is there a problem?" asked John leaning over the rail looking down to the team gathered there

"I'm sorry to bother you sir" said the distressed ensign "but I've got security on the link. They've got a Mimbari demanding to speak to you. He won't say what it's about, only that it involves the safety of the station. He said it's absolutely urgent"

"Oh well, we'll get back to this later, there's plenty of time for speeches" said John smiling "Carry on" he added turning to me and gesturing to take the lead again

We arrived to the briefing room, where we were met with a security detail. There we were introduced to Hedronn, who told us that the station was in danger due to another Mimbari that was now aboard the station.

"He's name is Kalain, he was Second in Command in one of our flagstaff cruises in the war with your people" he told us pacing back and forth, clearly distress. I was sure John could see it too. "He has not been seen since the end of the war"

"Why do you think he's here to cause us a problem?" I asked him intrigued

"I have my reasons, I wouldn't be bringing this to you otherwise." he said truthfully, but not voicing said reasons. I was regrettably, beginning to understand the use that people had on telepaths, mainly on situations like this when knowing if the people you were dealing with were truthful or not, could very well mean the difference between life and a hard situation. "If you will arrange have him apprehended, I will see that he's picked up by others and conveyed to Mimbar" he said turning to leave

"You say he was the 2IC in a Mimbari cruiser, which one?" I asked

"I don't see what that has to do with this" he said after a minute

"Was it the Trigati?" asked John in a serious tone

"It's not…" started Hedronn, and I instantly knew he was lying, he appeared to know I knew too, because he changed the sense of what he was going to say "something we like to talk about" he continued pacing again "At the end of the war, when our ships were ordered to surrender, one of our war leaders took his own life instead of obeying, and became a martyr to his own crew." He sighed "Kalain assumed command and as a final act of protest, he and his crew disappeared in a self imposed exile"

"For years we've heard rumors of a Mimbari cruiser sighted where it shouldn't have been" informed me John but did so looking at Hedronn "We always figured it was the Trigati, but we've never been able to prove it"

"They believe they have been betrayed by their own world and yours" said Hedronn sighing heavily "His presence here could indicate that they mean to come out of retirement"

"There's something I don't understand" said John standing and walking to Hedronn "You say you're with the Mimbari Government, the ministry of culture"

"Yes" Said hastily Hedronn

"So how does the Minister of Culture know a high ranking member of the Warrior Cast well enough to recognize him 12 years later?" said John. He was right, according to Elafe, the casts did not interact with each other unless the Mimbari were at war and even then, only did so when it was absolutely necessary. Unless Hedronn was a former member of the Warrior Cast, or a member of the Gray Council, there was no way he could have known Kalain well enough.

"I would answer your question" said coldly Hedronn "If I recognized your authority. Unlike your predecessor, my government was not consulted in your appointment"

"The President feels that the Mimbari had too much influence over an Earth outpost" said John nonchalantly "Times change"

"The day a man such as you is given a position like this, is a dark day indeed" said Hedronn glaring at John "We lost many of our best warrior because of you. We do not forget such big things. If there is a doom on this station, is because you brought it here" he stated before leaving the briefing room.

"He's Gray Council" said firmly John "he's gotta be. Only someone in the Grey Council would have had contact with someone that high in the Warrior Cast" he added looking at me "I mean, they don't normally mix" he scoffed "You're right, they're not happy to see me here"

"They are prideful people" I told him knowing from experience in my dealings with Elafe "and the Blackstar was their flagship"

"That's what made it a good target" said John smirking

"How did you take it out anyway?" I asked him curious "I've always heard it was a sort of new maneuver, but never heard the specifics"

"There wasn't much style or finesse involved… she was huge, monstrous" he said gesturing with his arms "None of our weapons would lock on their ships, some kind of stealth technology… So I had the idea of mining the asteroid ring between Jupiter and Mars" he told me "It took out the Blackstar and three other heavy cruises before they could escape" he said sighing "It was the only damn victory we had in the whole war and I'm not about to apologize for it" he kept silent musing over what we had learned "He said Kalain feels his world has betrayed him?" He asked after a minute or so, I nodded my agreement "If that's true, wouldn't your first target be the representative of said world?"

"Delenn" I said gasping already on the link with Security ordering them to dispatch a team to Delenn's quarters. We arrived there and with 3 security guards, Zach being one of them. As we entered Delenn's quarters, we were able to see Kalain pointing a PPG at Lennier, both standing at the threshold to Delenn's bed chambers

"Freeze!" Ordered John as the guards took position to prevent Kalain from escaping "Put the gun down"

"If you are going to kill me, then do so" said firmly Lennier, "Otherwise I have considerable work to do"

Kalain surrendered and was taken out to custody. John stayed behind unsuccessfully trying to get a glimpse of Delenn's cocoon. I stayed at the entrance to Delenn's quarters waiting for him.

"You are the new Commanding Officer" stated Lennier preventing John from entering Delenn's bedchambers

"Captain John Sheridan, Earthforce"

"Lennier" said the Mimbari bowing "of the Third Fane of Chudomo. Ambassador Delenn is indisposed at the moment" said Lennier cutting again John's way. If he really wanted to get in, he would have to use his wolf and that would mean exposure "Perhaps you could come back later. Much later" said Lennier

"Of course" finally conceded John bowing

As we headed to the interrogation room I told John that Zach Allan was one of the members of the pack and that he was currently my eyes in whatever was going on in Security.

We tried to accuse Kalain of attempting murder to Delenn, but he defended himself stating that everyone knew that Mimbari do not kill Mimbari, from there, things got a little heated and John was about to lose his temper completely.

"Captain!" I said approaching him and placing a hand on his arm "We're not getting anywhere, perhaps you should wrap it up and carry on tomorrow" I told him seriously, not wanting to overstep my boundaries as far as Earthforce was related. He looked up at me and seemed to understand why I was intervening, he nodded

"One last thing…" he said addressing Kalain "I was told that after the death of your CO you took command, but if you're here, where's your ship?" Kalain looked up arrogantly at John, but kept silent. When we walked out of the interrogation room, we were approached by Lennier

"Captain, I apologize if I was rude earlier" he said softly "There is something we need to discuss. Especially in light of Kalain's presence" he added worriedly "It concerns the reason you were sent here, the relocation of Commander Sinclair and the reason we surrendered at the Battle of the Line"

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**A/N**_: What do you think about this chapter? I debated for a long time if I was going to let Sheridan know about Susan's condition or not, in the end, as you can see, I decided against it._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 02 (28)**_

_**Healer**_

"Captain, I apologize if I was rude earlier" he said softly "There is something we need to discuss. Especially in light of Kalain's presence" he added worriedly "It concerns the reason you were sent here, the relocation of Commander Sinclair and the reason we surrendered at the Battle of the Line"

Lennier lead us to his quarters, he said that this matter required privacy and most of all discretion.

"After three years the Holy War that began when our leader was killed by the Earth explorer, was almost over" He said reciting what was presumably a part of a sacred text. "To avenge his death we had pursued you all the way back to your homeworld. The few surviving Earth ships that were ordered to defend you world at any cost, were not an obstacle" he said airily "The Gray Council had decided to oversee the final victory of our forces…" He went on to tell us that Delenn, who was a member of the Gray Council, had praised our bravery when fighting their ships, even though we knew it was futile. Upon that, they decided to bring in one of us for questioning and that they randomly picked a fighter pilot "This was the first time that the Gray Council would have contact with a Human. In this case, Sinclair… He was tortured, interrogated, scanned… During the curse of the scan the Council discovered something terrible" Said Lennier somberly "At first, they refused to believe it, they took other humans and had them scanned as well. But it was truth"

"What was true?" I asked him.

"It is our belief that every generation is born in each following generation" he explained. I already knew that thanks to Elafe's teachings, they believe that way the wisdom of their people is passed on and preserved generation after generation "Remove those souls and the whole suffers. We are diminished" he continued "Over the last 2000 years there have been fewer Mimbari borned into each generation. And those who are borned, do not seem equal to those who came before" That was also something that Elafe told me, he said that most of his people believed it was due to a great war that happened a millennia ago with an ancient and dark race "It's almost as if our greater souls had been disappearing. At the Battle of the Line we discovered where our souls were going… They were going to you" he said in serious tone, causing John and me to share a dubious look with one another "Mimbari souls are being reborned in part or in full in human bodies."

"So you stopped the war in order to avoid harming your own souls" I said making a conclusion based on their most sacred rule, Mimbari don't kill Mimbari.

"Yes, but the Council knew that our people and yours were not ready for this information. It could unravel our entire society" he said believing his words "So we could not tell our generals the reason of our surrender. We had all memory of the examination erased from Sinclair's mind and we let him go. It has been our secret. Now it is yours. It must be kept"

"Then why break the silence now? Why tell us?" I asked gesturing between John and myself. If what he said was truth, then it might explain why Elafe took the bite so well, why he did not fight it as Ha'Rok's body had done.

"Because changes are coming" said firmly Lennier "Commander Sinclair was the first. There will be more" he added as John's link chirped

"Yes?" asked John through said link

"Captain, we have something mayor coming through the jumpgate" said Corwin urgently "It's a Mimbari cruiser. Their weapons are all operational. She's on attack vector, repeat, she's on attack vector" John and I left Lennier and hurried to CnC to deal with that

"Red alert" ordered John as we entered the Dome "Everyone to your posts. Has she hailed us yet?"

"Yes sir, waiting your orders" said Corwin walking away from my console to step to his post

"Activate defense grid" ordered John, I complied a second later "All squadrons on stand by, but I don't want any actions that might be considered provocative"

"Scrambling Fighters" I informed him

"This is Captain John Sheridan, Earth Alliance. Stationed at Babylon 5" said John opening the link to the Mimbari cruiser "What can I do for you?"

"This is Allit Dieran of the Mimbari War Cruiser Trigati" came the response "You have illegally arrested and detained the Captain of this vessel"

"Your Captain assaulted one of my crew and was caught up in and attempted murder" stated John

"None of your people was killed." Retorted the Mimbari "No Mimbari was killed. You have not been harmed. You will release our Captain"

"And if I refuse?"

"Captain, she's launching fighters" I informed him while watching Zeta wing scrambling too

"Trigati, recall your fighters" advised John "Any attack on this station will be considered an act of war"

"The war has already began Captain, all that remains now is Honor and Death" said the Mimbari before cutting the link

"And I thought I was a pessimist" I said out loud

"So far no one's been killed" Mused John "So there's no reason for this to escalate unless… oh hell!" he snapped after pondering about it a few seconds "Get me security fast. They are doing anything they can to start a shooting war, but Kalain didn't kill the security guard or any of us and the Trigati didn't attack any of the ships that have seen her in the last few days" He mused out loud

"What ships?" I asked confused

"Sorry, I was under orders not to tell anyone" He said apologetically "I will explain everything later"

"Captain, Security's linked in" said Lt JG Corwin "Kalain is dead, they say it looks like suicide"

"That's what I was afraid of. They're trying to make it look like we are provoking them into war" said John

"Why?"

"They don't know why they're not supposed to attack us" told me John referring to what we learned from Lennier.

"Do you think they'd believe us if we told them?" I asked him

"Mimbari fighters coming at us" interjected Corwin

"That answer your question?" asked John mockingly

"They're on attack vector, closing fast" continued Corwin

"We don't have any choice" said John defeated "All fighters, intercept enemy crafts and engage"

"Confirmed Babylon Control" acknowledged Warren Keffer as John walked to Corwin's console

"Those are our fighters?" asked John gesturing to a point in the radar

"Yes sir" confirmed Corwin "And those are the Mimbari fighters" he added pointing to another point in the radar

"What kind of trackers are we using?" Asked urgently John after a second

"Standard XP7 units" I told him "Why?"

"The same kind we used during the war… but that doesn't make any sense. We shouldn't be able to track them at all" he said musing over it "What was it she said? All that remains now is honor and death… All fighters hold position!" He suddenly ordered

"Sir, what are you doing?" I asked worried for our pilots "If they hold position they're prefect targets!"

"Zeta squadron requesting confirmation of standby order" said Keffer over the link

"Confirm the order" ordered John "Confirm it damn it!" he said when I failed to comply immediately "I know what I'm doing" he said looking me in the eye

"All fighters, confirmed" I said over the link "Maintain position. Do not advance. Repeat. Do not advance"

"Can you deliver a neuro-band transmission point to point without the Trigati intercepting?" asked John walking to stand by my side

"We can adjust the laser delivery system but-"

"Do it" he said cutting me off "Then open the Jumpgate and send this message through the opening into hyperspace" he added handing me a data crystal "Frequency and address is all there" he said while I was complying

"Enemy fighters at 30 km and closing" informed Corwin

"Activate jumpgate sequence" I ordered as I completed the adjustments needed to do what John had asked. We sent the message as he wanted as soon as the jumpgate opened. "If this is a distress signal, it won't do any good" I told John "No one will reach us in time"

"Come on Babylon Control" said urgently Warren over the link "Give us a break here. If we are not allowed to fire we're death"

"Captain" I pressed on

"Hold your fire" said John as the Trigati fighters closed on "Continue to hold" and like that, the Trigati fighters flew past ours, not engaging in combat.

"I don't understand" I told John "They didn't fire, they're moving back, heading for the Trigati"

"Exactly" said John nodding

"But how did you know that?" I asked him impressed

"We've got something coming through the jumpgate" said Corwin as the Jumpgate opened and a Mimbari Cruiser came from it

"That's why they didn't fire" I said "They were waiting for reinforcements"

"Negative. They're here because I called them" said John smirking "I knew the Mimbari Government had sent another cruiser to look for the Trigait, but since no one's seen it, I figured they were waiting in hyperspace until they heard about another sighting" He looked at me then, his smirk still firmly planted on his face "Looks like I was right"

"That still doesn't explain how you knew the Trigati wouldn't attack"

"Monitoring a signal from the cruiser" said Corwin "They're ordering the Trigati to surrender"

"It's like I said. One of the problems during the war was that none of our weapons systems could lock on their vessels" Stated John finally addressing my question "So how come all the sudden we could track them?"

"They want to be destroyed" I added to his logic

"All that remains is honor and death" continued John "They have been in exile for 12 years. They can't go home. They can't surrender without being dishonored and they can't fight without a war" he said simply "So by forcing us to attack, by dying by human hands they become martyrs"

"And because you're known for having fought them, you're the perfect target" I said

"Trigati is breaking away" said Corwin "Should we open fire?"

"No" said John "The Mimbari will have to do it"

"They're targeting the Tigati's engines" informed us Corwin

"Trigati's engines are hit" I told them looking at the readings on my console "Unable to make jump. No change in life signs. It's a clear hit"

"War cruiser is ordering the Trigati to stand down and prepare to be boarded" said Corwin

"Their response?" Asked John

"Just one word. Honor"

"We're picking up a change in the Trigati's fusion reactors" I told John "They're moving up to critical… they're…" I was cut off when the Trigati exploded "Oh My God"

"Signal coming from the war cruiser" said Corwin

"Put it through" ordered John "This is Captain John Sheridan, I appreciate the help"

"Perhaps to you this was a tactical problem to be solved" said the Captain of the Mimbari cruiser "for us, this has been a great sorrow. The crew of the Trigati were heroes to many of our people. Their deaths will be mourned and your name will be remembered" he ended the link and the ship left through the jumpgate a minute later.

That night after the crisis was over and the paperwork was filed. I headed to John's quarters.

"Thought to stop by and see if your things had arrived" I told him when he let me in

"Yes, yes" he said gesturing around "Everything is present and accounted for"

"Something wrong?" I asked taking in his demeanor

"When I got my orders, I figured this place was a great opportunity" he said sighing "And now I wonder if coming here was irresponsible" I stared confused at him "This whole mess with the Trigati might not have happened if I had not been here" he said "I mean, my presence, my actions in the war… I'm to blame for bringing this trouble to Babylon 5. What was our friend in the Gray Council said? If there's a doom on this station it is you who brought it here. Well he's right" he said turning and taking a seat on his couch "I spoke to the president, he is the only other human who knows why the Mimbari surrendered and he doesn't believe this stuff about sharing Mimbari souls, and I can't say I do either, but they believe it! That's why they chose Sinclair to run this place" he said running a hand through his hair "That's why they picked him to live on their world. He was their First Human Contact… Him they trust, but me?" he sighed again "I don't know if Sinclair had been here instead, maybe they might not have attacked."

"Maybe they would have." I told him "I learned a while ago that there's enough guilt in the galaxy to go around grabbing for more. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt" I added smiling "Anyway, if you want to talk about this some more, you know where to find my, anytime" I told him walking to the door "See you later? You have to go to your first rappel out as CO of B5. We're meeting at Earhart's" I said as I crossed the door

As I was headed to Zocalo, I smelled Talia's scent right ahead. I debated whether or not turn around and take the long route, but I was in desperate need of a beer, so I chose to stay walking straight ahead.

"Susan, good" she said greeting me "Was hoping that now that there is a new CO on the station, we can get to finish our conversation from New Year's Eve"

"Ms Winters" I told her seriously "This has been a really long and demanding day, and right now I only want to relax." I said walking past her

"You can't keep running from us forever Susan" she said walking by my side

"I'm not" I told her "I simply refuse to associate in any way with a telepath, especially if said telepath is Psi Corps" I told her stubbornly as I reached the turbolift, leaving her behind.

"I'm just saying that next time this happens…" said Warren once we safely set our drinks on the table.

"If there is a next time" I reminded him, hoping there wouldn't be

"If someone could, I don't know, explain it to me, would definitely be a good thing" said Warren making Stephen and myself chuckle at that "In my limited point of view"

"You hear that?" asked Stephen jokingly "He wants an explanation, he wants logics"

"Well, logic is a good thing" I conceded "But what it has to do with Earthforce, is everybody's guess" Stephen chuckled again

"Yeah, I suppose" said Warren smirking "So, what does everybody think about our new Captain?"

"Well, I haven't seen much of him" started Stephen "But what I've seen, I like. I think he's gonna be okay. Susan?"

"I agree" I told him "I served under him in IO and he's a fine commanding officer and a good man" I said smiling "It's funny, he was supposed to meet us here for drinks" I said looking around "Wonder what could be holding him up"

"Last time I saw him he said something about having half an hour to give some good luck speech" said Stephen confused

"When was that?" I asked standing to leave

"About 20 minutes ago" said Stephen

"Of all the times he could have picked…" I said as I stood and headed to the Dome, knowing that no one was there at the moment, but John giving off his good luck speech.

I got there in time to see him at my post, looking over CnC. He smiled softly at me when I walked in.

"It was an early Earth president, Abraham Lincoln, who best described our situation." He said taking up from the point where he was interrupted early in the morning "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion. We cannot escape history. We will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial though which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the last generation. We shall nobly save or meanly lose our last, best hope of Earth." He then looked at his watch to check the time "Look at that, five minutes to spare" he said relieved

"It is a good speech John" I told him leading the way

* * *

**A/N**_: I know there has not been much of Talia in the last two chapters, but remember I still have to keep up with B5's general plot line._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 03 (29)**_

_**Healer**_

After our encounter in the Dome on New Year's Eve, I invested a lot of time in research about what exactly Susan could be. I ended up with only one possible theory, as ridiculous as that might appear to be, she had to be a werewolf. The problem was that all information regarding such creatures was scarce and contradictory; their appearance for instance, there seemed to be different portrays over the years' myths as to what werewolves looked like. Then, there was also the fact that apparently, to be one of them, you had to be bitten first; yet, two of the ones that were on the woods when I was a child, judging by their size, appeared to also be young, though I was not quite sure considering that as I just said, I was a child myself at the time. Their aging was controversial too, but I knew for certain, thanks to the Earthforce files, that Susan had aged accordingly since her birth, which lead me to believe that if what the myths said about their aging, maybe she had been bitten at some point of her military career. Maybe even by Maher, or Rabbi Koslov… '_maybe it runs in her family, like a tradition. You get bitten at certain age_' added Tee. Another information I came upon my research, was that very much like earth wolves, they traveled in packs and had a dominant male that lead them and he was identified as the Alpha. It seemed odd then that Susan was referred to by others and she herself referred as such, she after all, was not male; in that light I came to the conclusion that it might had changed over the years and the term Alpha for werewolves was only a title of leadership.

When I tried to approach her again to confront her about that matter and what we had argued about that night, I found myself unable to even bring it up. She was up above her head in job and issues to attend to after President Santiago's death and the disappearing of Commander Sinclair from the station, and with Mr Garibaldi still in critical condition. On those weeks we only spoke to each other when it was related to the Company, and even then, our chats were kept short due to her lack of time because of the attention she had to invest in B5's operation. So when I learned that Commander Sinclair had been reassigned and we had received a new commanding officer in the form of Captain John Sheridan, I tried again, of course, being as stubborn as she was, she blew me off claiming she just wanted to relax after a tiresome day. The only reason I agreed to leave her be that night, was because I felt her exhaustion and her eyes pleaded me to lay off; but that did not mean I was giving up on her, not after New Year's Eve near confession.

By the time January 2259 was ending, I was planning on different ways to make Susan see that I was not going anywhere and was still trying to court her in order to win back her affections; around that time I was approached by Lou Welsh, who informed me that Mr Garibaldi had woken up from the coma he had been and had requested for my presence. I was escorted to Medlab by him and two more security guards.

I was informed by Mr Welsh that Mr Garibaldi wanted me to probe his mind in order to look at his memories and find out who had shot him and what exactly had happened to him.

"Chief, I've brought her as you requested" informed Mr Welsh to Mr Garibaldi

"Nice job Lou" complimented Mr Garibaldi "Have you told her?"

"Yes" I said "Mr Garibaldi you have to understand that even if I go into your mind, even if I found anything, it wouldn't be admitted as evidence in a court" I informed him

"I know" he stated flatly "Listen, I have to find out who did this to me" he sighed "if there is anything in my memory, anything I have not repaired on, you might be able to find it"

"You might be placing too much faith in my abilities, but I'll try" I told him softly '_you know what it means given the circumstances, right?_' asked me Tee, I could only sigh "given your condition, it would have to be a deep scan" I informed Garibaldi while taking off the glove of my left hand "It might cause you some discomfort" I added while offering him my hand

"Let's do it" he said taking my hand in his

What we saw shook me completely, we learned that he had been shot in the back by his second in command, the one he had trusted to keep everything safe in case he wasn't able to do his job; while facing the man that had been in charge of the cargo responsible of the sabotage that had caused the President's death

Arrangements were made to take Jack, Garibaldi's Second, into custody and after a few hours, President Clark ordered Captain Sheridan to turn him over to Earth authorities.

Later that night I was on my way to have dinner when Lou Welsh came to me again and told me that Mr Garibaldi was asking again for me and was now requesting Susan's presence too.

"I'll get Lt Commander Ivanova for you" I told him smiling, hoping that it would grant me a few minutes with her. Mr Welsh nodded warily and left to his duties.

I found Susan having dinner, and laughing and having fun with a beautiful blonde across from her. '_You are taking too long!_' yelled Tee at me '_She appears to be moving on! Let me out! Let me fight for her!_'

"Lt Commander, I was looking for you." I said interrupting, angry at the fact that Tee was right and actually in control of my actions at the moment "I didn't know you were on a date"

"Oh, I'm not her date" said the blonde openly smiling

"Come on Lizzy, no need to lie" Said Susan smirking. The blonde, Lizzy, smirked too and reached for Susan's hand which made me angrier.

"That's exactly what I think, therefore, this is not a date" she informed me dropping Susan's hand "Elizabeth Sheridan, I'm just visiting my brother, Captain Sheridan, and my old friend here, Susan" she added offering her hand

I smiled at that, Susan was just trying to make me jealous, and even when it had obviously worked, I knew for a fact that no one tries to do that unless they care and are hurting. "Talia Winters, licensed commercial telepath" I introduced myself shaking the offered hand

"I see. Pleasure to meet you" she said

"Like wise" I agreed "I'm sorry for interrupting you catching up" I said after a moment, remembering why I was there in the first place "but I was just informed that Mr Garibaldi is requesting Lt Commander's presence in Medlab"

"Well, Mr Garibaldi will have to wait" said Susan icily

After a short chat and departing words to the Captain's sister, Susan ended up agreeing to walk with me back to Medlab, however she refused to speak a word to me the entire journey there.

"Are we really back to that Susan?" I asked looking at her "Couldn't we at least try to work things out?" still no response "I thought we were grownups" I continued and sighed "I still love you" I told her as we reached Medlab

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me" said Garibaldi as soon as he saw me entering

"You're welcome" I told him smiling "But it won't be admissible in a court"

"Oh no, don't worry about it" he assured me "Now that you have refreshed my memory, I can take it from here… would you give us a moment please" he added as Dr Franklin approached us

"Of course" I said smiling "I'll see you later" I told Susan before heading out.

As usual on Babylon 5, things were troubling. It turned out that the man responsible for shooting Mr Garibaldi, had mysteriously disappeared before actually being shipped to Earth. And a few days later, Mr Bester came back to cause havoc and apparently to taunt me and Susan too under the pretense to take care of a railroad of rogue telepaths supposedly on B5.

* * *

**A/N**_: Like it? Hate it? Let me know please. I know this was way too short, though I do hope you enjoyed the early update._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 04 (30)**_

_**Healer**_

Three weeks after John's arrival to Babylon 5, he had gotten used to the in and outs of the station and was now working through a schedule to get all the paperwork done. One morning he and I were in CnC, where he informed me that in order to help Mr Garibaldi, he and Stephen had used the alien device that had taken Mueller's life, and now were waiting for the results. Our chat had diverted then to Lizzy's arrival when Dr Franklin contacted us over the link.

"Franklin to Ivanova" he said over the link

"Ivanova" I answered

"I think you and the Captain should come down here. Garibaldi has woken up"

"On our way" I said when John nodded his agreement

John decided to stand by the door to the Medlab, while both Stephen and I hovered over Garibaldi.

"Garibaldi?" I asked concerned not seeing him move

"Yeah" said Garibaldi hoarsely

"How are you feeling?" I asked him

"Doesn't matter" he said seriously "Did you stop them. They're gonna kill the President"

"I'm afraid the President's death" I told him regrettably. It seemed odd at the time that Garibaldi's Second came strolling and stood nervously by the door at that moment. "They say it was an accident"

"No… No" said Garibaldi trying to get up "I have to see the Commander"

"Michael, he's not here" said soothingly Stephen, forcing Garibaldi to lie down again "He was reassigned"

"What?" Asked Garibaldi "God, I spend a few days away and everything goes to hell" he said rubbing his temple

"I'm sure that I can prove you wrong" said John stepping forward "Captain John Sheridan, the new Commanding Officer" he told Garibaldi as soon as they made eye contact

"I don't know you" said dryly Garibaldi

"No, but I trust we'll get along fine" retorted John

"Garibaldi" I intervened "I know you're tired but do you remember what happened? Who shot you?"

"I can't stop trying to" said Garibaldi struggling with his memories. I was receiving a havoc of images from him; which was new for me, so far I had only been able to hear thoughts and feel emotions, not seeing images, memories or otherwise. "No, no, I don't remember" he finally said "They shot me in the back. Didn't see who it was"

We left Michael to rest then, and a couple hours later I was summoned to John's office.

"Lt Commander, have a seat" he said as soon as I entered, I knew when he addressed me by my title that it was official business. "Do you know a Ms Talia Winters?" he asked looking up at me when I sat.

"Why do you ask?" I asked concerned, not knowing if he had heard rumors of my 'previous' relationship with her, or if anyone had directly told him something, or if she herself had approached him like she had approached Jeff.

"Just curious as to what you think of her." He said sincerely "Dr Franklin informed me that Mr Garibaldi has requested her services in order to jog his memory and try to find out who shot him"

"Oh!" I said relieved "It might be useful, though nothing she gets from Garibaldi's mind will be admissible in any court"

"So, tell me. What do you think of her?" he prompted me

"Ms Winters?" I sighed stalling my response "I… think she's an interesting person" I finally told him

"You never describe anybody that way" he said amused quirking an eyebrow

"Well, I can't really say I know her that well… not anymore, or if ever." I said bitterly "We used to hang out, a few months back, and she's… interesting" I told him

"Susan, last time you told me you thought someone was interesting you almost got married" he said smirking still amused

"I don't think that's going to happen" I said flatly "You know how I feel about telepaths"

"Do I ever?" he asked mockingly, clearly remembering my feelings toward telepaths. "I do remember a 3rd story window on IO"

"That was not my fault. It simply blew out the window" I said blushing

"I'll assume you didn't know that'll happen" he said smirking "Aside from Ms Winters 'interesting' quality" he said now, still mocking me though "do you think she could be trusted?"

"Yes." I told him hastily "Unless it goes against the Psi Corps. She's very loyal to them" I added

"And you don't trust Psi Corps" he stated

"You know I don't. Do you?" I asked him raising an eyebrow

"Telepaths are gifted and cursed in ways I can never hope to understand" he said sighing "They're still human beings. Good, bad or indifferent…" he added while standing "No, I trust individuals, not organizations"

"Then you may trust Talia" I told him turning to leave

"Whoa!" he said running to catch up with me and look me in the eye

"What?" I asked annoyed

"Talia?" he asked grabbing my shoulders "You're in a first name basis with her and interesting is all you could tell me?" he asked with a tone of incredulity

"Yes" I said flatly

"Susan" he started "It took me almost dying to get you to call me by my name. You didn't do it even when you got engaged" he sighed "Heck, as far as I know, you don't even call anyone other than family by their names; you barely ever call ME by my name Susan"

"Yes, so?"

"So… you can't seriously tell me you only think she's interesting when you call her by her name" He said

"I told you, we used to hang out together, we were even friends at some point, but things change" I said sighing

"Oh, it's her isn't it? Your mystery woman" he concluded

"Don't meddle, please" I asked him walking out, leaving John to sort through his paperwork before the Council Meeting.

Thanks to Talia, Garibaldi was able to see in his memories that his 2IC was the one who shot him, apparently Michael saw his reflection on a panel as he was facing Deveraux. We placed him under custody and collected all the evidence that was found on his quarters. I berated both Zack and myself, for not having noticed that something was off with him.

I was about to go for a late lunch when Gold Channel 1 received a transmission. I was surprised that it was being used at all, and was even more surprised when I found myself face to face with President Clark demanding to speak with Captain Sheridan, whom I contacted through the link.

"Captain?"

"Yes?" He asked annoyed over the link

"Captain-" I started

"Yes, yes, I know" he said cutting me off "The Council Meeting, I was just trying to get some work done before-"

"It's the President" I told him now interrupting his rant "He's in Gold Channel 1. Wants to speak with you" I informed him "But if you'd like, I can tell him to try again later" I asked amused

"Ivanova!" He said not amused and I smirked, even when I knew he couldn't see me

"Yes sir, please hold" I transferred the call to his office.

President Clark ordered John to turn over the prisoner and all the transcriptions and evidence on this case on the 1st transport back to Earth.

Later that day, after John ended his conversation with President Clark, he headed to the Council Chambers for the Meeting he was late to, and we learned where Ambassador G'Kar had been, he came warning us about a great danger, posed by an ancient and dark race. It worried me, because it was much similar to what Elafe's teachings on Mimbari culture had referred too. G'Kar told us about the ship his government had sent to a place called Za'ha'Dum in order to gather data and provide the evidence he needed for us to believe him; his ship however was destroyed as soon as they jumped to normal space, on those brief moments where the systems blink, which lead to the conclusion that it was due to a malfunction from the ship itself. I spoke with both Elafe and Ha'Rok, which in turn lead to troublesome news; Ha'Rok provided me then with a copy of the Book of G'Quan, and asked me to read it and stated that when I finished my reading, we should reconvene again on that matter. An hour after that chat, I headed to Zocalo to have dinner with Lizzy

"So, after my father died, I was left in charge of the Company. That's why they moved HQ here, I won't leave Earthforce, but I couldn't turn my back on them" I told Lizzy after she asked me about the Company, she stated she had looked for our services back on Earth and was surprised to find out HQ was no longer there.

After that, we diverted our chat to my canceled wedding and what was now of my ex-fiancée. I told Lizzy of what John had informed me and Lizzy went on to tell me about her personal life after we called the wedding off. I learned that she was, like me, still single and even when she had been tempted to turn into alcohol again, she pulled it through and had not fallen back in temptation. According to Lizzy, she had tried to date a few times, but nothing had come off it.

"I'm glad she's doing well, even when things didn't work out, I still care about her" I told Lizzy truthfully

"She'd like to hear from you, you know? She cares about you too, after all, you were friends before you started dating" she said smiling softly

"Things have changed a lot since we last saw each other" I reminded her at the same time I got hit by Talia's changing scent. By that time I had come to the conclusion that her scent changed based upon her mood. If she was bothered or angered by something, it changed to her second scent, while she usually walked around the station with the scent I had originally come to associate with her. The fact that I caught it changing then, meant that she was getting angry that same moment, just like New Year's eve. I could only hope that she did not go strolling to where I was sitting with Lizzy. Of course, I should have guessed I had no such luck, especially when it came to her; she is after all, as the saying goes, stubborn as a mule.

"Lt Commander, I was looking for you." said Talia as soon as she was by our side, cutting off whatever Lizzy was about to say "I didn't know you were on a date" she added icily

"Oh, I'm not her date" said Lizzy nonchalantly

"Come on Lizzy, no need to lie" I told her smirking, taking the chance to find a way to have Talia finally leaving me alone. Lizzy doubted for a moment but smiled softly at me and reached for my hand across the table. I smiled triumphantly until she decided to speak again

"That's exactly what I think, therefore, this is not a date" she informed Talia while dropping my hand "Elizabeth Sheridan" said Lizzy presenting her hand "I'm just visiting my brother, Captain Sheridan, and my old friend here, Susan"

Talia smiled upon finding out I had just lied, and offered her hand for Lizzy too, grasping it in a firm handshake as her scent shifted again "Talia Winters, licensed commercial telepath"

"I see" said Lizzy "Pleasure to meet you"

"Like wise" said Talia smiling "I'm sorry for interrupting you catching up" she said somewhat apologetically then "but I was just informed that Mr Garibaldi is requesting Lt Commander's presence in Medlab"

"Well, Mr Garibaldi will have to wait" I said stubbornly, not wanting to spend time alone with Talia

"No, it's ok. You go." Said Lizzy "I just wanted to greet you before I left"

"What do you mean? You can't leave this soon?" I told her. She had been a close friend once, and she still was the best friend of my ex-fiancée, whom as I told Lizzy, I still cared about, even with the Hunter blood running through her veins.

"I came to give John, Anna's last letter that I received" she sighed "He was blaming himself, I couldn't let it go on"

"Are you sure?" I asked her

"Yes, I leave early tomorrow" She nodded "Go, do your job. And don't close off behind so many walls again" she added smirking knowing how hard it had been for me to accept her advances and agree to date her best friend.

I somberly followed then Talia to Medlab; time that she took to her advantage to try and coax me into letting her in my life again, not that she had actually left my heart or my life in general, seeing as she is way too stubborn to admit defeat even when I had blew her off on several times and was even refusing to speak to her.

"Are we really back to that Susan?" she asked me "Couldn't we at least try to work things out? I thought we were grownups" she added after an uncomfortable couple of minutes in silence "I still love you" she finally said when we reached Medlab

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me" said Garibaldi to Talia once we entered

"You're welcome" she told him back "But it won't be admissible in a court" she reminded him

"Oh no, don't worry about it" assured Garibaldi "Now that you have refreshed my memory, I can take it from here… would you give us a moment please" he added as Stephen approached

"Of course" she said smiling softly at him "I'll see you later" she added addressing me before heading out Medlab

"If you want me to leave…" said hastily Stephen "I'll go too"

"No, no" said hurriedly Garibaldi "It's okay" he said truthfully while peering over the door making sure Talia and no one else was there "I didn't want her to hear this" he said looking back at us "I trust her as far I trust any other telepath" he said, I could only grunt in agreement, though it worried me that I felt he was lying, so either he did not trust Talia at all or he trusted her without a doubt. Both scenarios worried me. "But she's Psi Corps" he continued

"What has Psi Corps got to do with this?" I asked him not understanding his statement

"I've been thinking in what Jack told me when in the brig" started Garibaldi "The same that Bester from Psi Corps" I nodded in acknowledgement. I really despised that man "It's as if he was scrubbing in my face the fact that he knew that I would never be able to prove it." He said somberly "Remember that in last elections the Psi Corps was openly supporting vice-president Clark?"

"Sure" I told him "It was all over the news. Supposedly they are forbidden from recommending candidates to their members…" I said trailing off

"Exactly" said Garibaldi triumphantly "Jack didn't acknowledge it, but he said that Home Guard was not behind President Santiago's murder… but, if it was Psi Corps who was behind it?" he asked planting yet another seed for my distrust to Talia "What about they want to have someone in that position who sympathize with the Corps? When the Earthforce 1 blew up, vice-president landed on Mars saying he had a cold. Quite convenient don't you think?"

He did not add anything else to his musings, but as I said, he had planted yet another seed of discord in my mind between myself and Talia due to her blind loyalty to the Psi Corps. Yes, she had said on New Year's Eve that she would not have let them into my mind, but what could she do to stop it? She was just a P5, and even when willing to become a Rogue or take the drugs, as I told her that night, I wouldn't let her take either options, by being a rogue she would have to be always on the run, that was no life at all; and I wouldn't let her take the drugs either, I certainly didn't want her to shut down like my mother did. So I knew I was not being fair to her. What options did she really have?

I had much trouble trying to sleep that night. There were a lot of things on my mind, and as always, somehow it always drove me back to Talia and how much I missed her. I briefly entertained the idea of building back our friendship, if only to have her around again, but it would be more painful to have her so close and yet not letting myself be with her. It was safer this way, keeping her as far as possible. I ended up running all night through Grey Sector.

Next morning, when I arrived to CnC I did an overrun of the reports from the Delta shift and the schedule of the day. After that I headed to the bays in order to inspect the ship the prisoner would be headed back to Earth, what I found was troublesome, which is why I headed back to CnC and after making sure I was not overreacting, I contacted John, knowing I would be cutting off his time with Lizzy.

"Ivanova to Sheridan"

"Yes?" he asked annoyed

"You're needed at the Dome" I told him seriously

"On my way" he said sighing "What is the problem" he asked as he walked into CnC

"I inspected the ship in which the prisoner was going to be taken back to Earth" I told him in a serious tone "He had been moved to another ship half an hour before I got there. They had all the proper Earthforce stamps, they knew the identification codes, the proper authorization documents for him to be moved" I said walking over to my console "But I just checked up with Earth Central, the codes do not fit with those of any Earthforce registered ship"

"Great!" said John upset "So they left taking with them all the evidence"

"I'm afraid so, sir"

"I'll inform President Clark" he said sighing

"He's not taking any calls sir" I informed him, I had tried to contact back with him and have ready the Channel for him to speak with John.

John sighed again and asked me to join him in his quarters. I was confused by the request, but complied with it. After he went over a ritual to make sure that there were no bugs there he finally slumped on his couch, right across from where I had perched.

He told me that he blindly trusted me, and he knew that my loyalty was unwavering for Earth, but that what he was about to tell me, would put me in a compromising situation if anything happened to him.

"John, you know I'm loyal to Earth. But I'm also loyal to the people that proved they deserve it. Whatever it is, I'm with you" I assured him

He smiled softly and went on to tell me that before arriving to Babylon 5, General Hague gave him secret orders to investigate fully all the officers on the station, and that Hague wanted to see if we were all loyal to Earth. It appeared that he had several allies that had become aware of certain disturbing factions pulling the strings within EarthGov. John thought, that if what Hague said was all truth and based upon Garibaldi's discovery regarding the death of President Santiago, then a Civil War was in the 'oven' and we had to decide which faction we would support.

"Whichever you think is best for Earth sir" I told him "I'm right behind you" I said standing and turning to leave

"One more thing Susan" he stopped me "you've been doing much more than what is expected of you this last few weeks" he said "and as soon as I learned I was going to be serving with you again, I decided something, however it seems that my predecessor beat me to it" he added taking a step toward me "with all the added responsibility you've had lately, this promotion is no surprise at all"

"Did you say promotion?" I asked stunned

"Yes" he said smiling "I pushed the paperwork before arriving here, and was told that Sinclair had pushed the paperwork too before he accepted his commission on Mimbar. Of course this means you'll have to deal among what you already do, with low priority conflicts on the station and help me to focus on the other problems. I know it's annoying and inconvenient but-"

"I don't know what to say" I told him truthfully

"Well, thank you would be a good place to start" he said chuckling

"Thank you"

"I think you more than earned it Commander" I stayed there staring and smiling widely at him until he chuckled again "Snap out of it and carry on"

"Yes sir" I told him still grinning from ear to ear before I left and returned to my post.

Over the next weeks I realized that there was far more going on in the Galaxy than our possible Civil War. I had been reading the book of G'Quan, well, trying to considering that it was hard to translate and from what I had learned from it, the reports I've heard from these 'ghosts' that the fighter pilots kept saying they had seen in hyperspace, the coming and going on the station of the mysterious 'Free Mars' supporters that Tessa had told us about, Ambassador G'Kar's warnings regarding that Z'Ha'Dum place, Ambassador Delenn's new appereance and the whole Mimbari-Human souls issue, the ever growing hostility between Narns and Centauris, and how to forget, Ambassador Kosh's riddles; I surmised that John and I had more on our plates than what we bargained for.

* * *

**A/N**_: What do you think? Sorry for the lack Talia's appearance so far, but don't worry, next chapter is from her POV. _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 05 (31)**_

_**Healer**_

As a Psi Corps representative Mr Bester requested a meeting with the command staff and me. We were at the time all gathered at Captain's office and the tension seemed palpable even to them, the non-telepaths on the room.

"For some time now we've been aware of an underground railroad, smuggling unregistered and rogue telepaths from Earth to the outer colonies before we can reach them." Informed them Bester

"Well, so far I don't see a problem" said smugly Susan making me smirk slightly, that was until Bester fixed his gaze on me

"The problem Commander Ivanova" he started addressing Susan "is that unregistered telepaths are a security risk." He said pacing "The Corps has to ensure the safety and privacy of the normals" he stated with clear disdain "We believe that the underground railroad is operating through Babylon 5. It must be closed down" he then stopped in front of Captain Sheridan and addressed him "We'd appreciate your cooperation Captain"

"I'd like to talk to my people for a moment" said Sheridan nodding

"Of course" somberly agreed Bester looking pointedly at me, letting me know we were to leave and conduct our own search within the station. I had no choice but to comply and follow him closely, sparing just a brief glance in Susan's direction. It pained me to see her so broken at the moment.

"Troubles in paradise I see" he said

"I beg your pardon?" I asked him not liking the condescending tone in which he was addressing me

"You and Commander Ivanova" he said dismissively "Too bad I didn't foresee it, it would have been useful to have you get closer to her"

"What do you mean?" I asked angered by his comments and implications

"Doesn't matter anymore" he said leading the way to Red Sector "They'll do as we ask anyway"

"You seem oddly confident" I told him letting Tee take control of our mind protection as I felt Mr Bester sending a probe

"I am" he said smiling smugly as we entered Zocalo

"Did you scan them?" I asked appalled by the idea

"Ms Winters, you know the rules about scanning normals" he added smirking, letting me know without actually telling me so, that he had indeed scan at least one of them. I just hoped it was not Susan, because if she learned about that, hell would break loose on board the station.

"So, are you scanning me?" I asked knowing he was subtly looking for something in my mind

"You noticed" he said somewhat impressed and in lights of that I decided to play his game

"No, I'm just assuming."

"I'd only really do a scan on you if I suspected you were doing something… inappropriate" he said smirking, sending another probe into my mind "Are you?"

"No, of course not" I told him seriously, hoping then that Tee would stay low and away from the probe

"Then you have nothing to worry about" he said and was about to add something else when he started looking around in alarm, as if actually scared. I tried to focus my senses on our surroundings but I was reluctant to do it in full force in fear of it being either a trick or letting Tee slip out.

"What's wrong?" I asked him then

"You didn't hear that?" he asked me after a moment "Open up, drop the walls" he instructed "listen" I reluctantly complied to a certain degree but was unable to hear anything other than the normal whispers of other minds around me.

"Sorry, it's just background noise"

"They're here" he said resuming his stroll "I was right"

We walked for a little while around Zocalo, until he received a message from Captain Sheridan informing him that Mr Garibaldi would provide the assistance he had requested, Mr Bester then looked up smirking and told me to retire to my quarters.

I was about to turn in for the night when the Babcom system let me know I had an incoming call, I should have asked who it was from, but no, I was to tired and annoyed to actually do that, so imagine my surprise when upon accepting the call I found myself face to face with no other than Alfred Bester.

"Ah, Ms Winters, good. I know it's late. I hope I'm not disturbing you" he said, clearly knowing he had actually done so "I've been thinking about our last experience together, that Ironheart situation, and now this… I've been more than a little rude to you and I'd like to make up for it" '_yeah, sure_' said Tee in my mind "As our representative on Babylon 5, it occurs to me that we should know each other a little better…" he added hopefully and I couldn't understand what he was up to "Perhaps, you could join me for breakfast tomorrow morning"

I rolled my eyes at that, but decided to agree "I'll be there" I said sighing

"Good" he said smirking "Good night Ms Winters" I nodded at him as the link ended.

I walked over to my bed and stared at my reflection, reflecting upon all that had changed since Jason left. "He's been in our mind twice today… why isn't he seeing this?" I asked out loud while moving my old penny with my mind, realizing I was becoming stronger each passing day. Tee remained silent, knowing as well as me that either Bester had noticed and was playing with us, or was completely ignorant of the fact that Tee was within me. '_Maybe, this is part of Jason's gift_' said Tee after a minute of pondering "You mean that aside from being now teeks, we are protected from Psi Corps scans?" I asked incredously '_What other explanation can you think about?_'

I could barely sleep that night, trying to come up with an explanation to why Bester wanted to have breakfast with me and if he had noticed Tee within my mind or not. Which was the reason I was somewhat nervous next morning at Zocalo.

"So, honestly, things have been a little tense back home since the president died" he said trying to small talk

"Yes, it was quite a blown here too" I agreed. It had been hard not only for the staff, but for the civilians and the aliens alike.

"Do they ever talk about what happened?" He asked me "The Captain and the others?"

"Sometimes" I said truthfully "Why? According to the news it was an accident" I said trying not to think about what Mr Garibaldi thought and how his aide had disappeared before being shipped back to Earth along with the evidence that proved it had not been an accident at all.

"So it was" he said defensively "Still, if you could keep an eye on things for us-" he added but stopped abruptly his speech '_That's what he wants… he's being so nice and all with us because he wants a spy here_' said Tee somberly as Bester stood up and looked around "Get down!" he ordered pushing the table down and using it as a shield when PPG shooting started. I scrambled and ran but was intercepted on my way out of Zocalo by a couple of rogue telepaths who injected me something rendering me unconscious for God knows how long.

I slowly regained consciousness with a massive headache and several voices in my mind. I realized that I was laying on an old mat spread on the cold floor in Down Below and that I was surrounded by the owners of all that voices. I stood up and surveyed my surroundings, confirming that all of them around me were rogue telepaths.

"We don't wanna hurt you" said the leader "We will if we have to, but we don't want to hurt you" he stated

"You're only hurting yourselves" I told him "The Corps is only here to protect you" I assured them. Sure, not everyone within the Corps was nice, proof of that was Mr Bester, but Corps was Mother and Father after all.

"I don't believe that, and neither do you" he said '_He's right, we don't believe that anymore_' said Tee in my mind.

"That's not true" I told them both

"It will be very soon then, you'll see" he said

"What do you want from me?" I asked in a trembling voice

"We want you… to understand"

One by one, each of the rogue telepaths gathered there, came to me and told me their own experience within the Corps, and how ultimately they were given only the choice between complying with their official options, going to the camps or death.

"The Psi Corps doesn't kill its own" I argued

"I was there!" said angered the man I was talking to at the moment. "You can scan me to see for yourself" he offered

"I don't want to" I said, not quite sure if I was talking about invading his privacy or facing the truth behind his words

"You're afraid" stated their leader

"The Corps raised me" I argued back "They gave me everything I have"

"And took away everything you were born with, took away your freedom" said the leader '_not to mention that they are what's keeping us away from Susan_' added Tee "I mean you wear that badge and those gloves everyday of your life while you are around normals" continued the rogue leader "To keep you separate from them, from each other… they're afraid"

"You're distorting everything!" I yelled '_Is he now?_' asked me Tee

"Bester shot your friend Ironheart" he argued back "He was a rogue, just like us, but that's not the worst" he added stepping away and leaving me with the next rogue.

Their stories kept coming, forced marriages (which I knew was common within the Corps, though we referred to them as arranged marriages, like the one I had had at one point), forced pregnancies and children taken away after that, experiments done without consent.

"The Corps is now something else. I know it. You know it" said their leader coming back again "They can't be let go on this way"

"So what do you expect me to do?" I asked confused "It's not in my fingers to make it all go away. You're asking me to take everything I believe in and turn it upside down. Why?" I continued '_That's crap and you know it, you know if Susan was here asking you to turn your back on the Corps, we'd be doing it in a blink_' said Tee annoyed

"Because you're special" said the leader

"What do you mean?"

"Your friend Ironheart was my friend too" he whispered "They experimented on both of us. Hey pushed me and made me a P12, maybe even a P13; but Ironheart went further than I did and further than anyone will ever go again" he continued his speech, staring off into space "When he escaped, I did too. I know he touched you and someone else while he was here and he gave you something… I know you can help us if you want to"

"Once again, what exactly do you expect me to do?" I asked sighing knowing I would try to help them even if it was against Psi Corps, which made me realize that Susan had managed to make my loyalty waver.

Their leader smiled softly and we managed to come up with a plan in order to trick Bester. I was not entirely sure it would work, but I'd give it a shot anyway. I learned that Dr Franklin was the contact they had on board the station and was the one who was helping them out. Dr Franklin set up a meeting with Captain Sheridan in order to let him know what would happen, though we did not explain in detail what it would entail.

It was tiring to accomplish, but we managed to link our minds together and projected a scenario into Bester's mind in which all the rogues ended up dead by our hands, both his and mine after a moment of 'clever deception' on my part. That was done in order to make sure he did not actually suspect me.

"I don't suppose anyone would like to tell me what just happened" Asked Captain Sheridan coming out of his hiding spot with Dr. Franklin once Mr Bester left the area

"What did you see?" asked him the leader of the rogues

"Bester came down the hallway, said something, Talia came out, joined the others and he stopped" said Dr Franklin "He stared for a moment, then he smiled and came out back the way he came"

"But that's not what he saw" I told them smirking

"Which was?" prompted Captain Sheridan

"He saw what we wanted him to see" said the rogue leader before I had a chance to explain

"An illusion?" Asked amazed Captain Sheridan

"A telepathic projection" I clarified

"I thought Psi Cops were too strong for that kind of thing" continued the Captain

"Individually, yes" I agreed "Anyone of us couldn't have done it, but together we were able to over pass his defenses"

"Now as far as Bester's concerned, the underground railroad is dead along with it's leader" intervened Dr Franklin "he won't press the issue because he doesn't want to get blame for a bunch of dead bodies… he'll go quietly"

"And all I have to do is let him go?" Asked the Captain

"And avoid seeing him before he goes" said Tee taking control of my body for that brief moment "If he suspects anything, he might scan you and you don't have the defenses to block him" I added

"And no more underground railroad?" he asked concerned

"Babylon 5's going to log off for it" said Franklin "Others will pick up where I left. My part's over"

"Well, if there's nothing illegal going on here anymore" started Captain Sheridan "and Mr Bester drops his request, who am I to argue? Get your people out of here, I don't want to see any of them here ever again, am I clear?" he asked addressing the rogue leader

"Clear" he acknowledged turning to leave and being followed by the other rogues.

"Now Ms Winters, are you alright?" asked me the Captain

I nodded "Yes sir, thank you"

"Thank Susan, she said I should listen to you" he said

"She did?" I asked not quite believing that

"She was madly worried about you" he added.

"He is right" intervened Franklin "She was all shoot first and ask questions later, threatening everyone in order to make sure you were safe"

I sighed "I know she cares" I told them sadly. I knew Susan still cared for me as much as I did for her, but she did not want to drop the walls and let me in again.

"Oh, it's more than just caring" said Captain Sheridan winking at me and then headed the opposite direction followed by Dr Franklin. I debated for a moment but decided to head out too, taking a different direction, hopefully the long route back to my quarters.

"You know you can't go back again" said the rogue leader startling me. I had not noticed that he had stayed a few paces ahead and was waiting for me leaning on a wall

"I can't leave" I said truthfully, the idea of leaving Susan behind pained me more than anything

"You know too much" he said pointing to his head "if Bester scans you…" I stared at him and apparently he got the message "can you keep him out?"

"I think so" I told him "Jason's little gift" I said not wanting to let him know about Tee or our teek abilities.

"Then, he gave you more than you know…" he said standing straight "what we did back there shouldn't have worked, not with a Psi Cop. I felt it when we were joined, you're more than you think you are"

"And what am I?"

"The future" he said walking into the shadows and leaving me to ponder about what he had just said.

Later that day, I found myself walking at Bester's side through Blue Sector in order to reach Customs for him to leave the station.

"Well, I have to leave, there's an amount of paperwork waiting for me" stated Bester to which I only nodded once "I'd have preferred to take a few alive, but better set up an example. But now with its leader gone…" he trailed off before staring at me "you had me going for a moment there" he said sending a probe into my mind

"The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father" I said simply "I know where my loyalties lie"

"I hope you'll give some thought to what I asked the other day…" he said quietly sending the probe further into my mind "I was informed that Sheridan would be supportive of the Corps, I am disappointed by his attitude. You won't have a problem keeping an eye on them, will you?"

"No. No problem at all" I lied

"Good. Well, see you next time Ms Winters" he said retreating from my mind and walking into Customs gate. I sighed in relief once he was out of sight.

After a quick detour to my quarters to grab a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine, I headed to Susan's quarters. Everything that had happened today just confirmed what I had told her on New Year's Eve, I would do whatever she asked me to, even betraying the Corps, if it meant being with her. A lot had happened in the last couple of days and I had no one to talk to about it but her, so I decided to try and keep her friendship and go from there, like the first time around. I did after all, deeply missed her and our chats.

'_You realize that if we go to her, we'd have to tell her everything?_' asked me Tee "Yes" I said out loud while fixing my hair '_So you'll tell her about me?_' "Yes, and about what Bester asked us to do." I said walking out and headed to Susan's. Tee stayed quiet then, and I surmised that she agreed with me

"I bring gifts" I said stepping into her quarters once the door opened, not really giving her a chance to argue, seeing as she was standing at the doorframe to her bedchambers, dressed with her blue nightgown.

"Ms Winters" she started leaning on the doorframe "It's late"

"I know" I said looking down for a second and walking to the counter of her kitchenette, where I placed the bottle and the glasses I had brought. "I'm sorry to bother you" I continued turning to face her "I just wanted to say that you were right and I was wrong about the Corps" I conceded while taking off my leather gloves "in light of recent events I was forced to reevaluate my loyalties and I think we need to reevaluate our relationship, together" I continued placing the gloves on the counter too, while chancing a glance at Susan who I realized was stunned by my actions and hopefully words too. "Which is just a formal way of saying I need someone to talk to, and strange as it sounds you're my only friend and even when we both know I'm deeply in love with you, right now I need to rebuild the friendship we had before everything with Jason happened... unless my being here offends you" I hastily added when I noticed her frown

She shook her head and smiled softly at me which made my heart leap "No, you don't offend me Talia. But that does" she said tilting her head pointing to my Psi Corps insignia. I sighed and briefly caressed it before taking it off and placing it on the counter too "Better" said Susan grinning and taking a seat on the couch in her living room. I followed her, sitting directly in front of her, bringing the glasses and the wine to place them on the side table there. Then, I proceeded to tell her all that had happened since I had been 'abducted' by the rogues "Are you sure Bester can't scan your mind?" she asked me concerned after a long moment in which she processed what I had just told her.

"I think so" I told her truthfully "and Tee seems to agree with me"

"Who the hell is Tee?" she asked frowning again

* * *

**A/N**_: Like it? Hate it? Let me know please. _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words, I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 06 (32)**_

_**Healer**_

"Earth Central reports a 15% drop on the last month" I informed John during the weekly meeting we had in order to go through the budget and the station's schedule and operation.

"Why the drop?" he asked intrigued

"We figure that with all the Earth Military transports coming through lately, they're forcing to re-route our commercial traffic elsewhere" I said sighing "They say it's only temporary, but…" I trailed off

"Good" said John understanding where I was coming from with my dubious attitude about the temporariness of the issue at hand "Anything else?"

"Just one last item which affects station budget" I told him already tired and knowing the day had just barely started "Since we've been running on a deficit for a while and…" I sighed when he looked blankly at me "I thought you would have heard about it by now"

"Heard about what?"

"The space on Babylon 5 is in premium, the larger the living quarter rooms, the more Earth can charge for the rent" I explained "They decided that our quarters are larger than necessary, they want us to relocate to smaller quarters or start paying rent"

"What? Rent?" asked John outraged by the idea

"Yes sir, 30 credits a week. Starting immediately" I informed him

"And this us would be…?"

"You and me, yes"

"You can tell Earth they can-"

"It's only 30 credits a week John" I told him calmly, knowing it was a fair price, it was actually a symbolic rent given the circumstances "It's not that much"

"I don't care if it's one credit a week" he said heatedly "I don't care if it's one credit a month" he said standing and pacing then

"Some of the smaller quarters are actually quite nice" I offered amused

"Ivanova!" he scoffed "I am not moving and I am not paying rent" He then glared at me "And neither are you!"

"Sir?" I asked confused

"Demanding this from us is wrong! We are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, busting our butts for Earth!" he said ranting "And now they want to charge us for living here? I'll go and live in Down Below before I pay them a penny! And you can tell those accountants that they can go to hell! And that's from both of us!"

"Yes sir" I said appalled by John's passion on the subject as I watched him leave his office. I followed him and as soon as we reached CnC we were notified that Mr Bester had boarded the station and was demanding a meeting with the full command staff supposedly to talk about a new threat, for which we had to go back to John's office.

"For some time now we've been aware of an underground railroad, smuggling unregistered and rogue telepaths from Earth to the outer colonies before we can reach them." Informed us Bester in said meeting, which to my utter surprise, Talia had also been summoned to.

"Well, so far I don't see a problem" I told him icily

"The problem Commander Ivanova" he started addressing me, obviously not to happy with my new title "is that unregistered telepaths are a security risk." He said starting to pace "The Corps has to ensure the safety and privacy of the normals" he stated with clear disdain "We believe that the underground railroad is operating through Babylon 5. It must be closed down" he then stopped in front of John and addressed him "We'd appreciate your cooperation Captain"

"I'd like to talk to my people for a moment" said John nodding

"Of course" somberly agreed Bester looking pointedly at Talia who stood and followed him in less than a second, like a lap dog, which saddened me and hurt me to no end. How could she have said all that on New Year's Eve and act like that when Psi Corps was around?

"You've been pretty quiet" said John addressing no one in particular "Is he right or isn't he?"

"Technically? Yeah, I suppose" Offered Garibaldi, which obviously annoyed me "We are bound to abide by all Earth Alliance laws" then he turned to face me "Doesn't mean we have to like it" He sighed and turned to John again "And if there is some kind of ilegit traffic going through here, it's a threat to station security" he added shrugging "We have to support him"

"Come on Garibaldi" I snapped at him "You can't tell me you agree with this" he shrugged again, causing me to glare at him "You wanna help them!?"

"The law's the law" he said nonchalantly.

John sighed "Alright, give him whatever help he needs" he told Garibaldi after looking apologetically at me for a moment. Garibaldi nodded and walked out.

"Captain, I suggest you check the files on Mr Bester" I said gritting my teeth "We had a few problems with him last year involving a rogue telepath named Ironheart" I added bitterly "You may want to find out a little more about who you're dealing with" I told him pointedly before leaving his office

I unconsciously decided to avoid Stephen at all costs, and also I did try to avoid thinking about him and anything related to telepaths in fear that Mr Bester would pick up any stray thoughts I had on that matter. After my shift was over, I decided to head to Earheart's for drink. I had been going there instead of the Casino lately, just to avoid bumping into Talia, who had decided to stalk me once again.

"Hey Garibaldi! Over here!" I called over Garibaldi as soon as I saw him entering. By that moment I had already had a few drinks and was if not tipsy, certainly more relaxed than I had been all day.

"Look, can I talk to you for a second" He asked me as he approached

"What, is this official business?" I asked annoyed

"Yeah"

"Hey! Everybody! Garibaldi's here on official business!" The rules on Earheart's were simple. It was a bar where the officer's of the station and their guests could hang out and forget about work and station issues for a while, so it was prohibited to be there on official business and for civilians without invitation to go in there.

"Oh well, then next round's on Mr Garibaldi" stated the barmaid in a high pitched voice, earning cheers of everyone there.

"Come on" I guided him to a seat watching his grim face. "You know the rules. No official business inside Earheart's or you buy everybody a drink" I reminded him playfully

"I know, I know" he defended himself "But I was hoping I could talk to you about the TS" he said referring to the Telepaths Situation

"Oh… Ooops" I said sheepishly

"Yeah, oops" he added a little upset

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I need a contact inside the underground railroad" he said flatly

"Great. Good hunting to you" I told him nonchalantly "But what do I've got to do with it?"

"Come on Ivanova, this is me…"

"Yes it is" I said, reminding me not to think about Stephen "This time you're dead wrong… Look, there's no love lost between me and the Psi Corps" I told him seriously, thinking on the exception of what Talia and I had had the chance to build "But I've got nothing to do with this" I added truthfully. He sighed defeated "You look like I just killed your pet" I said chuckling

"An operation like this couldn't work without support of someone inside the station" he said "And given your history with the Corps and the secrecy when you bought your family here…" he trailed off

"Well, have a good time figuring it out" I told him standing to leave "Me? I'm going back to my quarters to get some sleep" I said out loud thinking of paying Stephen a visit before retiring for the night

"That's another thing I wanted to tell you" he said smirking "I was ordered to lock you and the Captain off your quarters until you pay your rent or decide to move out"

"WHAT!" I asked enraged forgetting completely about Stephen and the rogue telepaths

"Hey, don't kill the messenger" he said putting his hands up

I sighed and stomped out of Earheart's intent on getting inside my quarters, however, it turned out Garibaldi was a clever man and I could not bypass his security codes to my quarters, for which I decided to leave it be for the night and head to my office in Red Sector.

As I turned a corner in Blue Sector, I noticed John trying to get into his quarters to no avail.

"Forget it" I told him getting his attention "They've been sealed

"What?"

"Direct orders from Earth Central" I said sighing and already tired "Your quarters and mine have been sealed until either we move to smaller quarters or we begin paying rent on the bigger ones. Garibaldi let me know a little while ago"

"If they think they are gonna pressure me like this, they're wrong" stated John "Do you have something we can jam this thing with?"

"I already tried that in my door" I informed him shaking my head "and the result was I scared the hell out of security. I was just on my way to Red Sector when I saw you"

"NO! No way in hell" yelled John taking me by surprise "That's just as bad as paying them for using our own quarters. No sir! Millions for defense but not one penny for tribute" He said offended

"Alright then, what do you suggest?" I asked amused then

John stated that we would stay at his office, I was to take the couch and he'd take the chair by his desk. I tried to talk him into going to Red Sector, to my office, he could have the couch, or even to Louba's and Maher's, we could crash there for sure, but he was as stubborn as me and decided to pull Earthforce rank, so I ended up on the couch in his office

"Comfortable?" He asked no doubt trying to sooth me

"Couldn't be better" I said sighing, knowing that I had originally intended to sleep on the couch on my office in Red Sector

"Good. Gotta take a hard stand with this people Susan" stated John "You can't show a moment of weakness" he continued trying to get comfortable on his chair

"Yes sir" I said nonchalantly

"I heard a good one today" he stated as soon as I closed my eyes "How many Mimbari does it take to screw a light bulb?" he asked when I stared at him

"I don't know sir, how many?" I conceded

"None!" he said smirking "they always surrender before they finish the job and they never tell you why" he said chuckling at his joke. I rolled my eyes at that

"Were you like this when you were married?" I asked him remembering that he had a date today with Ambassador Delenn

"Uh? Yeah!" He said smiling literally, like an idiot

"No wonder things did not work between Elizabeth and you, and Anna was a saint!" I said deciding it was for the best to turn around and close my eyes to sleep

"Well, at least I'm an intelligent life form, according to the Mimbari" he said sighing "I think I like that, I think I like that a lot" he added as an after thought before he too decided to sleep.

Next morning I was restless, John snores a lot and I hardly caught any sleep. So after lunch, when Garibaldi escorted Mr Bester into the office demanding us to take action and stop the delinquents I rolled my eyes and was about to leave until the moment he informed us that he had met with Talia for breakfast and had split up when the shooting started.

"They must be getting desperate to try something like this" he said pacing "They know we're on to them. Why else would they try to kill me?"

"Is that a multiple choice question?" I asked annoyed by his mere presence "What about Ms Winters?" I asked, gaining a curious look from John before he settled his eyes on Bester again, who decided to sit down

"As far as I know, she got out" he said non puzzled

"You mean you haven't heard from her since the attack!" I asked enraged

"No. But I'm sure she's fine" continued Bester "It's me they were after"

"Unless they took her to get to you" I snarled "Did that thought ever occurred to you?"

"Won't do them any good" said the telepath nonchalantly, which angered me even more "She doesn't know anything that could hurt me, or the Corps"

"Doesn't get it, does he?" I rhetorically asked John and Garibaldi before walking and crouching over Bester "Wake up! To hell with what she knows or doesn't, she could be hurt right now!"

"Susan" said softly John getting my attention

"You should have told us she was missing as soon as you reported the attack" I told him rising and walking back to John's side

"He did" stated Garibaldi clearing his throat

"What?" John and I asked at the same time

"Mr Bester informed us that he was with Ms Winters and lost track of her" said Garibaldi calmly

"Is security looking for her then?" I asked shocked by the news

"No" said simply Garibaldi. "It's not been more than 24hrs since she was last seen, it's not a missing person yet"

"If you are this worried Commander, I would suggest you make sure Mr Garibaldi and all your personnel double your efforts to find this people" said Bester, I snarled at him, barely containing the growl in my throat, before stomping to the exit.

"Susan, where are you going?" asked me John

"To do Garibaldi's job" I said walking out heading to Medlab. "You have 5 seconds to tell me where she is" I demanded as soon as I got in hearing range of Stephen, still walking to stand in front of him

"Whom are we talking about?" he asked confused

"Talia. Three seconds" I said glaring at him

"How am I supposed to know that?" He asked walking past me into his office

"Rogue telepaths attacked Mr Bester this morning in Zocalo" I said following him "He was having breakfast with her and she has not been seen since then" I said gritting my teeth

"I'm sure she is fine" he said calmly

"I'm losing my patience, you either tell me where they are or I'll find them myself and trust me I'll personally kill them all once I do" I threatened in a low voice

"I assure you I did not know they would do anything today, but I'll talk to them and make sure Ms Winters is fine. They probably just want to talk to her and ask for her help" He said gulping

"She won't help them!" I yelled at him "She is blindly loyal to the Corps. If they hurt her because she refuses to help…" I trailed off and started pacing taking a few breaths in trying to calm down. "You either tell me right now where they are Stephen or so help me!"

"Look, give me a couple of hours to contact them, don't do anything rash, please" He asked concerned

"You have one hour Stephen, if I don't hear from you by then, I'll hunt them down" I said walking out and heading for a run

I shifted as soon as I was in Grey Sector and as soon as the hour I gave Stephen was up, I started running toward Down Below through abandoned corridors, using my wolf to track Talia down. I was agitated knowing my mate might be hurt or worse, dead, which agitated me even more.

I came to a halt on my tracking when I sensed several presences trying to get into my mind, I immediately guessed it was the rogues and got angrier by what they were trying to do. I shifted back to human form and headed in their direction, discreetly dropping my defenses, knowing they would know I was looking for Talia, whose scent getting stronger with each step I took in their direction.

"We won't hurt you" said someone a few feet ahead. "And we won't hurt her" he added

"Get out of my mind" I growled and was about to shift back and pounce on him, but got stopped by the sight of Stephen and one of the rogue telepaths coming out of the shadows.

"Ivanova!" said startled Stephen "How did you find us? Never mind, I asked you to give me time to sort this out!"

"I came for Talia" I said looking the telepath in the eye, completely ignoring Stephen

"We cannot let you take her yet, we need her" he stated

"Do I look like I care about what you need?" I asked trying to contain my rage

"We want the same thing you want" he said hopefully

"Clearly" I said mockingly

"No, I mean we want her to understand the truth. We need her help"

"She won't help you against the Corps" I yelled at him, much as I had yelled to Stephen a few minutes ago.

"You're wrong, she will once she has heard us and what we have to say"

"Susan, just calm down and let them talk to her, I give you my word that if after listening to them, she wants to leave, they'll let her walk away" he said looking back and forth between the telepath and myself.

"Yes" said the rogue "If she wants to leave, we'll let her."

"Let me see her" I ordered and was guided to another corridor where Talia laid unconscious on the floor.

"We had to drug her in order to bring her here without harm to anyone, herself included" said the telepath that had guided me there, whom I surmised by then was their leader. "She'll regain consciousness in a few minutes, she's been out since this morning"

While I approached her I noticed that the telepaths were wary of my presence but weren't trying to get into my mind anymore. I kneeled at her side and cupped her face, while scanning her body for any injury she may had

I debated for a long moment because somewhere inside me, even when it was wrong, I was hoping for Talia to side with the rogues. "Either if she helps you or not, if any harm comes to her, I will come back for you all and you'll wish it was the Corps who had caught you" I threatened them still looking at Talia

"No harm will come to Ms Winters" said the rogue leader. I finally nodded and scooped Talia in my arms silently asking them for a more comfortable place for her. I was guided once again through a corridor and found a cot on the floor there, where I gently placed Talia.

I was walking away when Stephen caught up to me and told me that the rogues thought Talia was stronger than before Ironheart touched her mind and that was why they needed her help, he then proceeded to tell me that they would ask John's help with Mr Bester and for that they had requested a meeting to explain their circumstances to him, he asked me if I wanted to be there with them when that happened. As much as I wanted to say yes, I had to decline mainly because I didn't know if I would be strong enough to face Talia's decision… on the other hand, if both John and I were there, something could happen station wise and it was better to have someone reachable in case of emergency.

"Any luck?" asked me John when Stephen and I walked into his office.

"We got word from the underground railroad" said Stephen "they got Ms Winters"

John looked at me "Are you okay? Is she okay? Have they made any demands?"

"She is fine for now" continued Stephen "They however, want to set up a meeting with you Captain, alone"

"Why?" asked John

"They wouldn't tell" I offered when I noticed that Stephen was at a loss of words

"Fine, I'll go." Stated John looking at me for a moment before turning his glance toward Stephen "When and where?"

Stephen gave the instructions of the appointment to John and promptly left the office, I knew he had to leave in order to be there before John arrived. I sighed.

"Susan, are you alright?" He asked concerned

"Just… listen to whatever she has to say, and make sure she is not harmed in anyway." I pleaded looking into his eyes

"I'll make sure she comes back safe and sound" he said softly placing his hand on my shoulder for a moment before he too left the room.

A few hours later, John came back to CnC and told me on his way to his office, that everything was sorted, which made me sigh relieved. When my shift was over I had to contain the urge to go make sure she was fine, but I knew Bester was still around so I ended up heading to John's office with a blanket and a pillow, ready to crash for the night.

"Captain, I'd like to state three things, for the record" I told him dragging my feet

"Yes commander?" he asked looking up from his paperwork

"Item 1. Thank you, for helping Talia and making sure she was fine. She means a lot to me" I told him sincerely

"Not a problem, though for what I saw on the records you provided me regarding Ironheart, and what happened today, I do believe you're being quite stubborn not to work things out with her" he said smiling warmly

"I told you John, it is complicated."

"You are just being stupid" he said smirking

"Be as it may, I still appreciate you helping her out" I sighed "Item 2" I added hastily wanting to avoid the heart to heart that I knew John wanted us to have then "I don't think this protest is gonna work" I said laying the blanket and the pillow on the couch and turning to face John again "Earth Central never gives up when it comes to money, but if you're determined to keep at it, I'm prepared to do the same…" I said sighing "Item 3. You snore"

"No I don't" he said offended

"Yes, you do"

"No, I don't" he retorted

"Captain, either you snore or last night we had a hell of a breach in the hull. By the way, I'm calling dibbs on the couch" I said sitting and mentally preparing myself for another long night

"That won't be necessary" said John standing from his chair and grabbing his jacket "You can sleep in your quarters tonight. Security's probably unlocked them by now"

"They gave in?" I asked impressed standing from the couch

"Uh, no" declared John

"You gave in?"

"Not exactly" said John confusing me "I'm deducting 60 credits a week set aside from the budget to maintain combat readiness and applying it against the rent"

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that I'm not ready to face combat against anybody until I've had a decent sleep on my own damn bed!" declared John heatedly "You got a problem with it?"

"No, none whatsoever" I said chuckling "I really like the idea of Earth Central paying rent to itself, it has a certain symmetry" I told him, earning a smile from him "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to my quarters and collapse"

"Wonderful idea. Dismissed Commander"

I was finally at my quarters, laid on my bed staring at the ceiling while wearing my favorite nightgown, ready to turn in for the night and take a well deserved rest time when the door chimed.

"You're having far too much fun at my expense" I said out loud talking to 'God' before rising and standing at my bed chambers door. "Yes?" I asked knowing the door would open. What I didn't know was that standing there would be Talia, who decided to skip formalities and helped herself into my quarters without invitation.

"I bring gifts" she said stepping in lifting her hands to show me she had indeed brought a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

"Ms Winters" I said annoyed "It's late"

"I know" she said looking down for a second and walking to the counter where she placed her 'gifts'. "I'm sorry to bother you" she said turning my way "I just wanted to say that you were right and I was wrong about the Corps" she said stunning me into silence while taking off her gloves "in light of recent events I was forced to reevaluate my loyalties and I think we need to reevaluate our relationship, together… which is just a formal way of saying I need someone to talk to, and strange as it sounds you're my only friend and even when we both know I'm deeply in love with you, right now I need to rebuild the friendship we had before everything with Jason happened... unless my being here offends you"

She was there proving me wrong about everything I had thought about her being inconsistent after our chat on New Year's Eve, I couldn't help the happiness that filled my heart at that so I smiled and shook my head "No, you don't offend me Talia. But that does" I told her gesturing toward her Psi Corps insignia. She sighed and surprised me by taking it off and placing it on the counter too "Better" I told her smiling broadly while taking a seat on the sofa I had there. She sat across from me a second later and started on her explanation about what happened since she woke surrounded by the rogue telepaths. I was angry at Bester for trying to force her to spy on us, and even when there was a small nagging doubt in my mind regarding her veracity, I decided to ignore it in favor of worrying about her well being if she was being completely honest with me "Are you sure Bester can't scan your mind?" I decided to ask after a few minutes of silence

"I think so" she said "and Tee seems to agree with me"

"Who the hell is Tee?" I asked confused

I learned that night that it seemed that Talia had two personalities within her, though both aware of each other, which was weird in itself. Talia stated that she and this Tee person had been one at some point and then they were split later on, and that they reacquainted themselves after Ironheart's visit. Talia also mentioned that she had developed further her abilities after he left, and made me wonder if she suspected about my own development.

"How do I know this is not a ruse on your part then Talia?" I asked her when she was done with her story

"I want to regain your trust Susan" she said, then her scent shifted to the second one "I assure you I am very much real Commander, and we both want you in our life" she said and I realized that it was this Tee person "we do not want to hurt you any further than we did by withholding information"

"I did not mean about the two of you, but the intentions you have." I said realizing that her scent changed again. I thought it only happened whenever she was upset, like when I was having dinner with Lizzy, but it turned out it was depending on the person in control at the time "Why should I trust you?"

"Because we love you" said Talia as soon as the question left my mouth

I sighed again, not knowing what to do or say at that moment so I took solace on the time. "It's getting late, I need to sleep at least for a couple of hours before my shift starts" I said standing and taking the empty glasses and bottle to the counter.

"I'll leave you to rest then" said Talia in a sad tone, which made me snap my head to look at her

"You don't have to leave" I said hastily and I could see a smirk forming on her face "as I said it's late, and I'm tired, not in the mood to change my clothes and walk you to your quarters, and I certainly will not allow you to walk on your own this late" I added.

"So what do you propose?" asked me suggestively Talia's second persona smirking.

I shook my head. "Ms Winters." I warned frowning

"So it's still Ms Winters?" asked me Talia hurt

"I have to address you both someway Talia, and I'm not going to call your other you, Tee as you do" I said uncomfortably

"How do you do that?" asked me Talia amused "Is it because of what you are, you have enhanced senses as the files state?"

I looked up abruptly, shocked by her words, and I was even more shocked when I saw her smiling warmly at me. "It is because of the wolf, yes" I said sighing "But now it's not time to get into that chat, once again, I do need to get some sleep." I said walking to my bedchambers to grab an extra pillow and a blanket, then I walked back to the couch. "You take the bed" I said preparing for the night

"I don't want you to give up your bed" said Talia "We'll take the couch" said Ms Winters. I looked up and had to shake my head to clear my mind, that was going to be really confusing.

"It's not necessary Ms Winters, I only have a couple of hours left, and I'm sure you don't have to get up as early as I do, now please, just go in there and let me catch some sleep"

Talia hesitated for a moment but ended up agreeing and walking to my bedchambers, she stood at the doorway there. "Susan" she called for me, making me glance at her again. "Does this mean I have a chance again? You'll give us a real chance now?" she asked hopefully, I knew she meant us and not herself and her second personna and I was tempted to tell her that yes I was willing to give us a chance, but I was not sure how that would work with Ms Winters and Talia both in there.

"I did miss your friendship too, though that's it. This is only about friendship Talia" I told her seriously "The moment I feel you're trying to pass that boundary, I will ask to be reassigned" I could see her heart shatter at that and her scent changing just in time for 'Tee' to place a mask of confidence on Talia's face before sliding the door closed.

I sighed and slumped on the couch. As predicted, I did not get much sleep that night either.

* * *

**A/N**_: So? What do you think of this? _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 07 (33)**_

_**Healer**_

"How long has this fight been going on?" Asked me John after I debriefed him on the Drazi situation

"It's been building for the last couple of days. It's a cultural thing" I informed him earning a grunt "Once every 5 years all the Drazi here or in different space posts and at home divide up in two factions, and fight it out"

"But it's not a fight to the death?" he asked me worried

"No" I assured him "Just until the loser gives up or is knock senseless" I said smirking. "Whichever side has more victories becomes the dominant group for the next five years, when it starts all over again" I had to concede that it was actually an interesting situation, they sparred against each other in order to become stronger as individuals, as a group and as a culture. I respected that.

"Well Commander, I am confident in your abilities to solve this out" said John

"I beg your pardon sir?"

"Yes, you would benefit from learning the fine art of diplomacy" he said now smirking himself "Find a peaceful solution to the drazi problem, okay?" He ordered before leaving his office. I stared for a moment at the screen I had used to show John the footage we had on the Drazi.

"Interesting as it may be, being a cultural situation might make this mission tricky as hell" I muttered to myself before going out in order to arrange a meeting with the Drazi representatives. Later in the evening I managed to convince the Drazi to come to a meeting in the Council chambers, where they sat divided according to the factions they represented.

"As you all know, we're having a bit of a trouble here at the time." I said addressing the leaders of each faction. "The problem being you trying to beat each other senseless" A added in a serious tone "Pounding, mocking, jumping. And even when some of the other species wouldn't mind you wiping out each other" my own included, the pack had been having fun watching them for a while now, and we even managed to learn a few new tricks; but the noise and hassle they were causing was becoming annoying. "they wouldn't mind if you did it quietly. But this station is dedicated to the goal of finding peaceful solutions to our problems" I reminded them "You can start by helping me understand the two sides of the conflict in order to set that up" I said directing this last bit to the leaders.

"Green" said the Drazi leader who had a purple cloth hanging from his neck

"Purple" said the one with the green cloth

"No, I understand that there are two factions" I said patiently "but what is your point of contention? Why do you disagree with each other?"

"Purple!"

"Green!"

"Yes, but who gets to wear the purple stash, and who gets to wear the green stash? Is it based on income? Cast? Rank?" I offered trying to understand their culture

"We put green and purple in great bureau in equals of numbers of Drazi" explained the Green Leader "We go in and we take. Where there was one Drazi, now there are two. The two fight until they are one"

"That's it? Is it totally random?" I asked not really believing that. When they both nodded I couldn't help but sigh "Well then, how do you choose the leader for either side?"

"One purple and one green carries mark of leadership" explained now the Purple Leader gesturing to the pin on the stash around himself "He who takes leader cloth, is leader. He who takes marked green" he added gesturing to his rival "is green leader. He who takes green is green and follows green leader"

I smiled sighing, knowing it was going to be more difficult than I originally predicted. And now I was running late for a date with Talia… No, not a date, we had agreed on meeting at the Dome in order to have lunch together, but that was not a romantic date. We had built up our friendship back, and she already knew a lot about the pack and our situation on Babylon 5. "So in other words…" I said walking around making a decision on the Drazi situation "you two step forward please" I asked gesturing for one green and one purple at the same time that I smelt Talia entering the Council Chambers. I chanced a glance at her and faltered upon seeing her smirking warmly, which trust me, was a sight to behold "Okay" I continued after shaking my head "so what you're trying to tell me is that if I take this purple stash off of him and put it on to him" I said as I did exactly that "is that one thing enough to-" However it seemed it was not enough to do anything other than start a riot between the two factions, I was going to let them fight it out for the time being, that was until Green and Purple Leaders ended up stumbling upon Talia, which prompted my wolf to action and I ended up taking Talia to the far corner to assess her, it seemed her wrist was troubling her but I it didn't seem like a fracture, which made me sigh relieved just for a moment before I got into the fight myself. I know I surprised all of them but both factions stopped their bickering and beating when they noticed that I had both leaders on a tight hold on their arms behind their backs. "Okay, we'll come back to this at another moment" I said releasing them and walking to Talia, leading her out of the Council Chambers and headed to Medlab to make sure that she was fine.

"Come on Doctor, there has to be another way around this" begged Talia to Stephen not to put a cast on her wrist "You said so yourself, it's only a sprain, I don't need a cast"

"I did not say I was going to cast your wrist Ms Winters" said Stephen patiently "It's a splint, which will help it heal in a week instead of 5 if you go roaming around with your arm like that"

"If you put a splint on my hand, I won't be able to put on my gloves" said Ms Winters, which made me frown and grunt. How could she be more worried about that rule of theirs than their own health. She noticed this and let Talia come forth again. "You know I'm a close proximity telepath, the gloves help to prevent contact and therefore peering without permission into other people's minds" explained Talia. "I'm having a hard time blocking your thoughts right now" she said, and I was not sure if she was talking only about Stephen, or both of us.

"Which is why I suggested the splint instead of the cast." Stated Stephen as John entered Medlab "You can take of the splint for a few minutes a time, mainly for hygiene purposes, but you can put on your Psi Corps gloves in the mornings and take them off at night"

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" asked me John

I sighed "Just do it Doc" I told Stephen while following John to Stephen's office, not missing Ms Winters glaring at me for making the decision for her. "Not exactly the smooth beginning for my 'diplomatic career' you had in mind?"

"We learn by doing, in the process we are bound to fall on our faces sometimes" he stated chuckling "And I heard you didn't do that bad, whatever you did, it prompted their respect to you as a figure of authority" he said smirking "So what's your next move?"

"Make sure Talia is nowhere near them the next meeting" I said glancing through the glass toward Stephen and Talia.

"In that case, if you wanna give it a day or two to make sure your girlfriend is fine-"

"No!" I stated cutting him abruptly, annoyed at his still smirking face "I already started this and you know I'm gonna finish it. Getting them together to work out their difference didn't work because they don't have differences to resolve. I just need a different angle"

"Oh, so you're not denying your relationship with Ms Winters anymore… Interesting"

"We're friends again" I stated simply

"And you both know that's not enough for either of you" he said chuckling again. "Stop being stubborn Susan"

"It's complicated and definitely not what you think" I told him through gritted teeth.

"You deserve to be happy just as anyone else" he said softly "And if it's complicated, is because you want it to be, simple as that"

"John-"

"Uncomplicate it Commander. Now keep me informed on the Drazi situation and take care of your girl" he said dismissively walking away. I sighed and looked at Talia again.

"Ivanova to Security. Tell the Drazi we'll meet in the Council Chambers in one hour and we'll try this again" I said walking to Talia's side in time to listen for Stephen's instructions on the medication he was prescribing her for the pain.

I was walking Talia to her quarters in order to get lunch, when my day got worse.

"Commander Ivanova. I thought you should know" I heard over the link "We just received news from the Drazi homeworld"

"Make my day and tell me the stupid fight is over" I said and could hear Talia snort

"Just the opposite" said Lou Welsh "The Greens have just started killing Purples" Talia gasped then and I knew what she was thinking, and it had nothing to do with either of our telepathic abilities.

"Have the local drazi heard about this yet?" I asked worried about that

"I don't know" was the simple and completely useless response

"I need a full tactical squad on the Council Chambers! I need it now!" I ordered and looked apologetically at Talia

"Go, do your job. I'll be fine and I'll see you later" with that reassurance I sprinted through Blue Sector in order to get to the Council Chambers.

I beat the Security squad there, the vision that greeted me made my stomach upset and angered my wolf. 'Purple' Drazis laid dead scrambled all around the Chamber. As soon as security arrived I ordered them to clean this mess and sort through the identities of these fallen Drazi, as soon as they started the tasks I had assigned them I headed to Brown Sector, where I knew I would find most of the Drazi. I found myself face to face with a tall one, on the tallest actually I've ever seen, but of course I was not intimidated by him, or his goons around.

"I wanna see the leader of the Greens" I told him through gritted teeth "We just heard about… the Drazi kills"

"Natural selection" he said matter of factly "Do not interfere"

"I have to. I can't have the station disrupted any further" I told him trying still contain my wolf who wanted to come out and teach a lesson on natural selection "This has to stop and it has to stop now." I said using my Alpha voice, which curiously worked on the Drazi, who looked frightened for a moment before he composed himself and opened the hatch behind him. I walked through there and found myself face to face with Green Leader and a few others.

"Drazi stronghold" stated Green Leader "No place for humans. You do not talk polite to Drazi" I snorted but kept silent letting him get whatever he wanted out of his system "But because you were hurt by Drazi I welcome you"

"I was not hurt" I told him angered "You hurt Talia"

"Telepath female is extension of you… by hurting her, we hurt you. Humans have no place on Drazi business. But we respect your strength and leadership" he said approaching me "We welcome you… Rise above our differences"

"Our differences are not the issue" I told them "The issue is Drazi killing each other here and in your homeworld"

"Would you prefer we murder humans?" He asked mockingly, which angered me even more

"Look, I came here to help, but if you don't wanna hear it…" I drifted turning around to leave, deciding on a new tactic.

"No, No. We take help" said hastily Green Leader "I have solution to our problems"

"Go on" I said warily

"You tell Purple Drazi to gather at Brown 29, not used by others" he explained "We'll not be disturbed. For peace talk. Find solution" I pondered about it and it could work "If you tell, they will trust?"

"Alright, then what?"

"Then, when all Purple Drazi in one place, open hatch to space. Flush oxygen to vacuum. Purple Drazi cannot breath" he said and his emotions were dripping off of him, he was sickenly exited about the idea. "All purple Drazi die! Station is quiet again. No more fighting. Green Drazi win! Everybody win!"

"I don't believe this!" I said rising my voice "You're talking about cold blooded murder of almost 2 thousand drazi! Don't you understand?" I snarled "This are your people!"

"No! Purple! Purple! Not Green!" He said getting angry himself at my lack of 'comprehension' "You will help?" he asked somewhat hopeful

"No!" I stated simply

"Great shame. We already sent word to purple Drazi" he said proud of himself "They will come. Used your name. You will stay here until we are done"

"Don't count on that" I said while rising my hand to reach security "Ivanova to Security-" I could not complete contact because the Drazi came onto me, they managed to rip of my combadge and tackle me to the ground.

"Now we finish this our way" said Green Leader

"What does it take to get through to you?" I asked them "You're making a mistake of galactic proportions, Assaulting an Earth Alliance officer, Attempting mass murder…" Green Leader scoffed

"Green must fight Purple. Purple must fight Green. There's no other way" said Green Leader walking out followed by a few others.

"Just my luck, I'm stuck with the race that speaks only macros" I smirked, not even them being all here had a remote chance against me, much less only the ones that stayed. I had them knocked unconscious in less than a minute, however I didn't count on the fact that the hatched only opened from the outside, so I was trapped.

I risked shifting and trying to tear up the hatch, but it was to no avail. I looked for a different exit route with the same result, none. After a few minutes of snarling in anger I heard loud bangs on the hatch so I shifted back in time to see Garibaldi peering through the slightly opened hatch.

"Whoah! Remind me not to make you angry" he said when he noticed the state of the 'room' I was held in and the unconscious Drazi on the floor.

I sprinted towards the reunion point set by the Green Leader for the Purple Drazi, Garibaldi ran after me and I had to moderate my speed in order to not tip him off on my 'condition'. I explained him what was happening and he looked amused by the situation, which worried me a little, but I decided not to ponder about it at the time. And in all the time that Garibaldi was around after that day, I never ever wondered how he found me or how he knew something was wrong with the Drazi. I know now I should have, I was sloppy.

We beat the Green Drazi and made sure the Purple Drazi were contained, safe and accounted for. We learned through Zach, who had done a further research on this matter as I had requested from him, that this madness only lasted for a few more days so I came with a plan in order to contain the Drazi there and deal with the Green Leader.

"Going somewhere?" asked Garibaldi to the Green Drazi group when we interecepted them. "Hey, guess what? Looks like the Purple Drazi bought that story of yours. They're waiting for you in Brown 29" Green Leader looked pleased and I had to take that smug look off his face "Now, I have to say that spacing them, as appealing as that idea sounds at the moment, you have another solution"

"As long as they're together in one place like that, we can keep them there for a while, ensuring you don't go stupidly killing each other" I snarled

"For how long?" Asked smugly Green Leader

"Just a few days" said Garibaldi nonchalantly "We checked the data files of your people and turns out this contest of yours last just one cycle. A Drazi week. Six Earth days. So…" He said earning chuckles from the Drazis

"What's so funny?" I asked not amused by them

"A cycle not Drazi Week" explained Green Leader "A cycle Drazi year. One Drazi year equals 1.2 human years. Can you keep Purple Drazi prisoner that long?" I grunted and I'm pretty sure I growled too. "This is our way, you can do nothing" said triumphantly Green Leader

"But don't you understand?" I asked frustrated then "This is insane! It doesn't make any sense to go on killing each other over a piece of cloth!"

"You do same yes? For Flag, honor" argued Green Leader

"That's different" I argued back

"Is it?"

"YES! Our flags at least mean something. It's not as arbitrary as yanking a color out of a box" I scoffed "You're fighting and dying over a stupid piece of cloth" I said yanking the stash around Green Leader into my own hands. "There's nothing special about it! It's not patriotic! It's got nothing but a stupid little star in the middle of it" I felt amusement again from Garibaldi and when I looked at the source of his amusement I was greeted by all the Green Drazi, including Green Leader, snapped at attention at me "What!? What's wrong?"

"Who takes Green is Green and follows Green Leader" stated, to my utter annoyance, Green Leader. He had already explained that when they told me how they got their stupid stash, but he continued anyway "Who takes clothe for Green Leader, is Green Leader. Greens follow Green Leader" he said motioning with his head toward the cloth on my hands

"Wait a minute. You're saying that because I'm holding this right now" I said slowly "I'm Green Leader?" The Drazi all nodded

"You are strong. Good for leader. Green Drazi follow you now"

"But I'm human!" I yelled

"Rulers of homeworld order contact with other races. Rules of combat order combat of Green and Purple. Rules not mention aliens" said former Green Leader clearly confused himself "Rules change. Not proper yet."

"Yeah. Burocracy. Tell me about it" I said sighing. Then a new idea came to mind. "Well… what do you know?" I asked out loud placing the green stash around my neck while sparing a glance toward Garibaldi who had lost all trace of amusement from his feelings and face "Green Leader says you're coming with us to the quarter master's office. Let's just hope you don't spend the next months in the brig for assaulting an Earth Alliance Officer" I said sighing. As soon as that was sorted out, I ordered them to head back with me to Brown 29, now with Maher and Louba as back up. I was going to end this now.

I took Purple Leader stash too. Then I took the Leader marks from both stashes and clipped them on my uniform. I gave Purple stash to former Green Leader, and green stash to former Purple Leader.

"I am now leader of both purple and green Drazi, correct?" I said aloud, all Drazi gathered around nodded and I could hear a few of them mumbling that it did not make much sense. I sighed "I understand that your culture requires you to 'fight' against each other and which ever side has more victories by the end of the cycle, becomes the dominant group" Then they all hailed and roared. I sighed again "Well, I will allow you to go against each other" more hailing. "Shut up and listen dammit!" I ordered using my Alpha voice, which took both Louba and Maher off guard, but they quickly recovered, all Drazi hushed then and stayed silent, for which I was grateful because I was getting a massive headache "Now this is what's going to happen. No more killings between each other. You may be on different teams, but you are the same. I bet you all have a brother, sister, or any kind of relatives or friends on the other side, wearing a different stash color" I could see many of them nodding and a few of them actually looking at the other side for those people "So, I being leader of both sides on Babylon 5, have decided that you will face against each other in a selection of human activities" I heard grunting from the Drazi, but none dared to speak up. "Louba right here" I said pointing to Louba "Will be trainer and manager of the Purple Drazi" then I gestured to Maher "Maher, will be doing the same for the Green Drazi"

"We do not need human trainers" scoffed former Green Leader

"I'm ordering you to work with them" I said "Green follows Green leader, and Purple follows Purple Leader" I reminded him

I went on explaining them about the most aggressive human sports I was familiar with. Such as football, hockey, boxing and so on… that seemed to appease them, and by the end of the day, I had an extended pack to care about, one that was formed by about 5 thousand Drazi. I didn't know it at the time, but being Green and Purple Drazi Leader of Babylon 5, was one of the best things that happened that year, because we easily talked them into helping us the Year the Great War came upon us all.

* * *

**A/N**_: You know the drill, what do you think so far? _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 08 (34)**_

_**Healer**_

Other than the fact that Susan openly denied that she wanted anything other than friendship with me, and even threatened to leave the station if I so much as tried to cross that line again, she took the news of Tee and Bester's situation rather well and we easily built up our friendship back.

She was at first wary of me, which was as much as it pains me to admit it, understandable. And by that point I think she was keeping some of her walls up not for me, but for Tee, which was stupid seeing as we both were one and the same.

During one of our late evenings she ended up telling me a little more about her family and her pack and even explained me that according to the information provided to her by Rabbi Koslov before he left the station, that there seemed to be a failsafe on her condition, apparently no telepath could access those thoughts and memories on anyone knowing about the werewolves, unless said telepath already knew in advance about them or the one person thinking of that in that moment actually wanted the telepath to know about it. It seemed quite strange but apparently there was merit to those reports according to Susan. I learned too that the reason it was important to her was in part because she had been banned when she joined Earthforce but her father had welcomed her back on his deathbed.

"Is everyone in your pack, like you?" I asked her ones

"You mean a wolf?" she asked me amused but I was serious, I wanted to know so I nodded my head "Most of us are. But there are people that rather not be turned, even when they are mated to one of us" she explained rather uncomfortable.

"Mated?" Asked Tee for me

"It's a delicate issue Ms Winters" said Susan calmly, taking us off guard once again by knowing the difference between Tee and myself "Let's just say that mostly it's like marriage" she sighed then looked up at me "My mother was not a wolf herself"

It was then cleared by her the doubt I had about turning. She stated that some of them like herself, were born from werewolf parents, both or either of them. And some others, got bitten and turned.

"So would you turn me if I asked you to?" Asked Tee

"Absolutely not!" stated Susan harshly "I promised Ganya I would never give the bite to anyone unless they were dying and that was the only way to save their lives and they had to agree to that." She ranted, but continued after taking a deep breath "Besides, not everyone survives the bite. Some fight it and don't make it"

"Have you ever offered it to anyone?"

"Once" she said simply, apparently ready to end our conversation there. I sighed and let her drop the subject.

There was one time when she was assigned to find a peaceful solution to a Cultural conflict, in which I ended up hurt, just a sprain, but seeing Susan's reaction to the Drazi physically hurting me even when it was unintentional, gave me hope. We once again met on a daily basis, and I was certain that with just a little extra push, I would be able to bring down all of Susan's walls and make her agree to finally give us a chance.

That one time, as soon as I was released from Medlab, Susan was walking me to my chambers to join me for lunch. We had agreed on meeting on the Dome and head to Zocalo from there, when I arrived there and didn't see her around, I asked for her whereabouts and was told that she was handling a meeting with the Drazi on the Council Chambers, so I headed there and end up with a sprain wrist due to the Green and Purple Drazi fighting.

On our way to my chambers after my visit to Dr Franklin, Susan was informed that the Drazi were now killing each other over their factions, Green vs Purple, so I prompted her to leave and do her job, make sure they did not kill on the station.

Later that week, I learned that she cleverly became the leader of both factions and made them stop their killings, but still allowed them to keep on their fighting through different earth sports, and even let them spar against each other and some of the people on her pack.

Over the next weeks I was able to build up the same relationship we had before Jason boarded Babylon 5. I was subtly courting her again and even was helped by Maher in surprising her once in a while with small details such as cooking her favorite foods, or going out to the local representations that emulated Earth's plays and concerts, gifting her a few interesting books or music once in a while too and I was ecstatic when she not only thanked me for those, but surprised me herself with trinkets for myself. Nothing fancy was given to the other, but we were getting there.

I noticed Susan losing weight at a fast rate, I knew that she had a lot on her mind, not only related to the station, but to the Drazi, her pack and her family business. I was learning more and more everyday about that and to most of the negotiations I was going either with Elafe or Ha'Rok, which meant that I got to see less of Susan, Louba and Maher on that front. I approached Dr Franklin and asked for a favor then, I knew the mandatory consults and medical checkups for officers was approaching and I just wanted to make sure that Susan was properly fed. I tended to bring her lunch to the Dome but most days when I went up again to check up on her, her food was left untouched until after her shift ended, and sometimes she had to pull double or even triple shifts.

She once mentioned over drinks at my place that she was worried about some strange people coming to the station on regular basis, but that she could do nothing about them because they stayed low and did not do anything illegal, and if she had noticed them, she was sure Mr Garibaldi had done so too by then, and the fact that he was not doing anything about it bothered her too. She said that they had even managed to outsmart a few times the trackers of her pack that she had ordered to follow them and that was what worried her the most. She did not know what they were doing when she lost track of them.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't it?" asked Tee when we noticed that she was frowning

"Yeah" she said sighing and leaning further into the couch "I know they are supporters of Free Mars, Tessa has said so"

"So, if they're helping your people and the people in Mars, why are you worried?" I asked her

"I'm worried Talia, because we do not know who they are or what they want in exchange… I'm afraid they will ask for a lot as retribution for their assistance" She closed her eyes before continuing "Besides, why are humans and mimbari working together as part of the same group. That does not make sense"

"Have you asked Elafe about that?" Susan shook her head "Well, then, maybe you should do that instead of worrying about what you don't know"

"I hadn't thought of that" she said opening her eyes "Thank you" she said smiling warmly at me. Silence fell upon us and I leaned in to kiss her "Talia… I… I have to go" she said stopping me, with that she stood up and left.

A few days after that, during the visit to the station of Captain Maynard, an old friend of Captain Sheridan, Susan ended up cancelling our dinner plans in favor of joining her fellow officers for drinks, she invited me over but I refused; I was hurt, granted, none of us acknowledged we were dating, very much as the first time around, but deep down we both knew we were an unofficial couple and I was getting frustrated by that, especially when she was obviously avoiding me again, even when it was subtly this time, we no longer hung out alone, there was always someone else with us.

Then I heard from Neeoma that the Cortes was lost in hyperspace and the crazy plan Susan had come up with to rescue her, I was not only worried, but angry at her.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?!" Asked Tee as angry as I was when we reached the bays in time to see her and the other pilots about to done on their fighter suites.

"Ms Winters" said Susan gritting her teeth and gripping the hold on her Earthforce jacket "This is definitely not the time for your outbursts" she said turning to leave, but I reached with my hand to her shoulder to stop her from leaving me speaking to myself

"You don't have to go out on suicide missions just to take you away from us!" said firmly Tee

"This is a rescue mission Ms Winters, they need us" She said gesturing for the pilots around, which was when I noticed they're scared faces and the presence of Captain Sheridan too. I however did not care about any of them.

"Please don't go"

"Don't you understand?" she asked annoyed "This is part of my duty Talia, I can't ask them to do something I'm not willing to do myself!"

"What good will you do to your pack if you end up dead?!" Asked Tee taking control once again

"You don't have the right to speak about it Ms Winters" said Susan shaking with anger "My FAMILY knows what has to be done if anything happens to me in the line of duty" she said turning around again "Gather up and let's head out" she ordered the pilots.

"Susan!" I called again, despair clear on my voice which I think is the reason she stopped mid step. I went up to her again and hugged her with all my might, I felt her stiffen but I knew that if I didn't do something to make her understand, I would regret it forever; I did not take her anger and threats into account, which I know was wrong, she never made idle threats; instead, I crashed my lips onto hers "_stay_" I desperately pleaded with my mind, as soon as my mind brushed hers I felt a sting on my cheek and found myself down on the floor.

"Susan!" In less than a second Captain Sheridan was glaring at her while helping me stand, she had slapped me with such force that I fell down. I could not understand the hatred I saw reflected in her eyes then.

"Captain Sheridan, I'm officially requesting to be assigned to a different post, and I would like to ask for you to recommend me and fill in all the paper work required for that as soon as we come back. If you fail to do so I will present my resignation and leave the station on the next available transport ship" she said glaring at me, not once looking at Captain Sheridan and I could not help but sob uncontrollably staring at her departing form.

After several minutes I was finally able to regain certain semblance of control over my sobbing. Captain Sheridan offered me to join him on the Dome as long as this mission lasted, but I could not be there; I had finally pushed her too far, I had finally lost Susan and I didn't know what to do, how to make it better. Zach Allan volunteered to escort me back to my quarters, where he made sure to contact Maher and inform him of what had happened, Zach only left when Neeoma and Maher arrived and kept me company while trying to cheer me up. They stated that Susan would most likely change her mind because she could not really go away and leave me behind, but I honestly doubted that. I thought right there, that it was time to accept it and try to move on. As soon as I made that decision, Captain Sheridan contacted me through the Babcom system and when he learned that Maher was also there, he asked if he could drop by to my quarters, he stated that Captain Maynard would come too, which meant that the rescue mission had been successful and I was glad for them, but when Captain Maynard and Sheridan walked into my quarters and gave me a saddened look, my heart broke even more.

Susan had not made it back. Maynard explained us that she had sacrificed herself to make sure the Cortes found its way back home.

"She sent a message for you Ms Winters" said Captain Maynard apologetically while placing a crystal data on the system to be read. It was audio only and it was the communication records between Susan's fighter and the Cortes.

* * *

**A/N**_: Is it safe to come out of my hiding place? Should I build a barricade, a fort maybe? Or should I wait until the next update to come out?_

_Ok, now, what do you think of this chapter? Remember that your reviews nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 09 (35)**_

_**Healer**_

After Talia almost kissed me, I ended up putting some distance between us again. I still hung out with her, but by then I tried to do so always in the company of someone else, preferably not from the pack because they tended to make up more excuses than myself, especially Maher. So when Captain Maynard showed at Babylon 5, he came as a blessing for me.

On the other hand, I had actually followed her advice and asked Elafe about the mystery people coming and going from B5 and Mars. He stated that he was not sure about it since they were supposed to be legends, but that given the description most likely they were Anla'Shok and if they were present now, it meant the ancient enemy was coming back. I jumped into more research on what his history stated about that ancient enemy, and it turned out that G'Quan's book also spoke about an ancient enemy described quite the same as the Mimbari did. Elafe stated that the Anla'Shok, Rangers, were founded by Valen himself in order to fight against the common enemy in the Galaxy. I sent him to look for more information on this matter with Delenn and to be subtle about it, in the mean time, I reminded the pack to keep an eye on these people and maybe even engage interaction with them on their next visit in order to find out more information, I also asked them to stay alert for the stories of this phantoms in space, since it appeared that the descriptions of those, matched the ones on Mimbari and Narn legends, and that was quite troubling.

"Oh Captain, good, I was about to call you" I greeted John as he entered the Dome one morning, a few minutes after we received a message from the Cortes confirming her visit. "We just received this for you" I said handing him the message in question "It's from the Cortes, it's ah… rather rude sir" I said truthfully as we walked towards our stations on the Dome

"Rude?"

"I doubt all your friends call you swamp rat" I said eying him carefully, so I was surprised to see him chuckling

"Oh, that's an old nickname and a long story. I'll tell you about it sometime" He said now reading the message "The Cortes is coming here to re-supply"

"You served on her, it must be a long time"

"At least 8 years" He added smiling fondly "How many explorer ships have come to Babylon 5?"

"None, until now"

"You're in for a treat" he said smirking

"Explorer ship coming through the gate Commander" informed Lt JG Corwin

"Impressive…" I said after a minute of staring at the Cortes as she came in

"Take a good look people" said John smiling broadly "If you're supremely lucky, you may see two ships like her in your lifetime"

"Captain, I believe your friend 'Stinky' has arrived" I said reading the incoming decoded message

After a lot of burocracy and a few pleasantries, it was agreed that we'd all head to Earheart's for a drink, I was in part disappointed that had to cancel dinner with Talia in order to join my fellow officers so I ended up asking her to join us, however she refused.

"What's with those pins Commander? I don't think I've seen medals like those anywhere" asked Captain Maynard eying my Green and Purple Drazi leader marks.

I grunted and John just chuckled "You wouldn't. Ivanova is the first human to be a Drazi leader, heck, she's the first non Drazi to lead the Drazi"

"Drazi leader?" asked Captain Maynard, disbelief coloring his tone. Ray Calus, CAG of the fighter pilots, proceeded to explain to Maynard what had happened with the Drazi in Babylon 5 and what was happening on their Homeworld, where apparently they had also stopped killing each other, but were quite more aggressive than the ones on B5. "How's the confrontation going now?" He asked amused

"We scheduled weekly games, er, combats, in a tournament kind of way." I explained him, and everyone else present for that matter. "They have of course 'combats' on a daily basis, but my schedule only allows me to be present once a week, therefore the best two teams of each round in each discipline, no matter if the best teams of the week were both of the same faction, are to face each other on a weekly basis, when I can keep a better record of the winners for the end of the cycle"

"What about current politics with the Drazi?" asked Maynard intrigued

I sighed "Usually, the winner faction of the previous cycle of fights, are to dictate the rules and call the shots"

"I sense a but coming up" teased Warren

"You're right" I confirmed him "But right now, I'm acting as proxy of the Drazi on all their meetings with the League. I of course consult and try to bring the previous ambassadors into the meetings for consulting purposes"

"Wait" interrupted me Maynard "You're telling me that you are also their politic leader on B5? Not only you lead them on this fighting period of them, but you are currently the Drazi Ambassador?"

"Not exactly" intervened John, for which I was grateful "We spoke with the Drazi leaders back home and they wanted to claim Ivanova as such, but we reminded them that she is first and foremost human. She is to take part in all Drazi politics, but if she feels her decisions will be biased because of her loyalty to Earthforce, she has the right to let the Drazi know and let them suggest the decision that suites them better, and as long as it does not put Earth and Drazi at war, she will do exactly what they suggest"

"Quite impressive Commander" said then Maynard "So, this is Commander Ivanova's story, but what about all of you, I wanna hear your stories too, I'm stucked on a supply ship!"

"Yeah, but your stories are much more entertaining" argued Warren

"Not necessarily" said John with humor

"What do you mean?" asked offended Maynard

"Well, there was that time you took your leave on Mars and those dancers I recall" said John winking to Maynard

"Ah Captain Sheridan" intervened Maynard between his teeth trying to stop John from continuing

"Yes Captain Maynard?" rebutted John smirking. It was quite fun to watch these two bickering, they were truly good friends.

"July 12, 2250" Simply stated Maynard, piquing the curiosity of everyone gathered around

"Forget I said anything" said John mimicking the child's gesture of sealing lips, earning a round of laughter from all of us

"Where are you headed next Captain?" asked Warren

"Back out to the rim. The new rim, now that we finished mapping sector 900 we're open to build two new jumpgates by the end of the year"

"Captain, you've traveled more in hyperspace than anybody else here" I said fishing for information on what the pilots were rumoring about "Is there any truth to the stories?"

"What stories?" He asked amused, but my new found telepathic abilities let me know that he was not amused at all, but concerned

"Well, you know" said Zack catching up to what I was fishing for "Things happen out there, people see weird things. We heard a story last week of something living in hyperspace, ain't that right Warren?"

"Yeah, that's what we heard"

"Nothing can live in hyperspace" stated seriously Garibaldi, getting silent confirmation of the CAG

"Well, what do you say Captain?" pressed Warren

"Well, living I don't know about it Lieutenant" said seriously Maynard "but there's something out there and it's stronger than any of us could ever imagine" he added somberly.

That night I learned from Elafe that Delenn had subtly confirmed his suspicions about the Rangers, so I asked him if it would be possible for him to arrange a few of our people to get enrolled in whatever the program that was they were into. He said it would be hard to talk Delenn into allowing someone into it, but he would do his best. He suggested he could join in first, but I knew that it would be suspicious if he did that so soon after being hired by me.

"If everything is satisfactory Doctor, I'll be returning to my duties" I told Stephen next morning after the routine checkups officers were submitted to.

"There is one last thing" he said as I reached the threshold of Medlab, where I stood face to face with Dimitri, who was eyeing me with worry clearly evident on his features. "I worked out this food plan for you" said Stephen motioning Dimitri y provide me with the printed copy he had in his hands.

"Are you telling me to go on a diet!?" I growled snatching the piece of paper from Dimitri while glaring at Stephen "I'll have you know I don't have an ounce of fat in my body! I exercise vigorously everyday"

"Yeah, but when you eat, you don't eat enough of the right things" intervened Dimitri

"You have deficiencies in calcium, iron and several other minerals" completed Stephen "And it's hampering your health. I recommend iron supplements and an increased diet, food plan, to replenish your system"

"You need to gain back some weight" whispered Dimitri

"Figures, all my life I've fought against imperialism. Now suddenly I am expanding Russian frontier" I muttered walking out

"But it's a very nice border" said Stephen out loud earning a chuckle from Dimitri.

John was the one who took over operations when the Cortes left a few days later, I could see him yearning to be back out there, he was not at ease being stuck solely on the station, he was always more a man of action than politics and it saddened me to see him like that. So it didn't come as a surprise to me when he finally snapped during our schedule meeting over B5 schematics and budget.

"Is there something else Commander?" he asked irritated

"May I speak frankly?"

"Yeah" he said without hesitation

"Ever since the Cortes arrived you just haven't been yourself" I told him "I thought perhaps you'd like to talk about it"

"I command starships, not cities at space!" said John after hesitating a minute, upset and frustrated. "These problems, the, the petty complains, the endless bickering but constant negotiation…Jack Maynard said this wasn't what I was trained for and he was right!" he snapped "I mean I'm constantly swamped, drowned under nothing but trivial. Look at this desk! I can't find a think on it. You know me! Is this me?"

"Starships run on details. You've always run a tight ship. That's and admirable trait" I told him serious "B5 can never run in quite the same way" I added, which I know made him slump his shoulders in defeat "So forgive me for saying but there must be something more than just that"

"Maynard is right" whispered John rounding the desk and sitting back on his chair "I've been ditched"

"Hardly! Running B5 takes as much energy, intelligence and patience as it does to command a starship" I argued

"There is a difference. They have turned me into a burocrat" countered John, still in a defeated tone

"You're here because the President thought you could handle it" I said walking toward him, making him look me in the eye "As your XO I have the right to know, was he wrong?"

"I don't know" confessed John "Maybe he was, it's just taken this long to sink in" I sighed

"Look, you need to think about it and let me and Earthforce know, so I'll talk to these alien delegations and see if I can smooth them out" I told him walking out his office

I was worried John might actually tell me he did not think he was fit for the job, in all the time I'd known him, he had never stepped away from a challenge, but he had never looked so defeated before either, so I did not know how he was going to react to that.

John walked into the Dome again in time for what was the beginning of the boom that day.

"We're getting a message from the Cortes, it's a mayday" said Lt JG Corwin

"Put it on speaker" ordered John

"This is the Cortes, there's been a malfunction on our navigational systems… Not possible to lock on signal…. We're stranded in hyperspace… lost… please respond… mayday, mayday" was heard over static noise

"Take it off speaker" order then John "Keep recording the pieces that make it through clear, and send this response immediately, [Your signal's been received and help is on the way]. Keep sending that"

"Yes sir" agreed Corwin while getting to do just that

"I want all available pilots in the squadron bay in 30 minutes" said John to me

"I shouldn't need to remind you. No ship that has lost in hyperspace has ever been found again" I told him worried by his order

"I know"

I spent the next minutes with him trying to find a way to actually help and bring the Cortes back, Neeoma happened to walk in a few minutes later because of an appointment she had with John on behalf of the docker's guild, but ended up getting a grip on what was happening so she decided to sit with us for a minute until I came up with a solution. It was a little ironic it was her presence what prompted the memory of what papa had done once, and how he adapted the original idea to work with the pack. So I ended up sharing that piece of info with both of them, which mildly surprised John, but ended up letting it pass in favor of knowing how we would make it work in hyperspace.

"Commander Ivanova has briefed you on the situation" said John a few minutes later, walking around the hangar bay looking at the fighter pilots gathered around. "All we know from the Cortes' mayday is that something has brought her down in hyperspace, as the Commander has reminded me, no one has ever recovered a ship from hyperspace, but I am determined to try"

"How far is she?" asked one of the youngest pilots

"Unknown" said John simply "Can't pick up a trace on the lock on signal. But farther from the lock on signal the ship is pulled, the more distorted the signal is." He stopped walking and stared at them all for a moment "The first message we got from the Cortes was barely strong, and it's fading. So we have to move this fast"

"But if we don't know where she is, how do we find her?" asked Ray Calus

"I have an idea on that" I told them "but it's risky. There's a strong chance that some or all of the rescue ships might not make it back" I informed

"We know there is a drift in hyperspace that can pull down ships without power." Stated John taking the lead again "The Cortes still has power, she can hold her position for a little longer. So we are going to borrow a page from the lifeboat service"

"When a ship went out in bad weather they went out huge moves to save the life of the crew and passengers." I explained seeing them all confused "It formed a line of lifeboats from the ship to the shore in a kind of life line"

"The first fighter will stop just inside the gate and lock on into the gate signal" explained John nodding "The second fighter will proceed 1000 km further and lock onto the signal of the first one. The third fighter will lock onto the signal of the second one and so on"

"Which leaves the last pilot hanging in mid air" I told them

"But if it's broadcasting it's signal in all directions, there's a chance the Cortes will pick it up" said Warren Keffer with a hint of hope

"If she's still in range" I confirmed

"It's a long shot, but it's they're only chance. Any questions?"

"Who is going to be the last man hanging sir?" asked the CAG

"I'll be" I told them in a serious tone. They all nodded but kept silent "Any other questions?"

"No sir" was heard in a chorus

"Good, you'll hit the space in 5 minutes. Gather up" ordered John

I got hit by Ms Winter's scent as she came strolling into the hangar bay before I had a chance to actually react to that "Are you out of your freaking mind?!" she asked me angered. I could see from the corner of my eye, John and the fighter pilots freezing and I could actually feel their wariness and fear on what would happened even more so than a few seconds before. I was also hit by Ms Winters anger and her worry for myself.

"Ms Winters, this is definitely not the time for your outbursts" I told her trying to leave, but she stopped me by reaching my shoulder.

"You don't have to go out on suicide missions just to take you away from us!" she argued firmly

"This is a rescue mission Ms Winters, they need us" I said gesturing for the pilots around.

"Please don't go" pleaded Talia softly and it almost made me crave

"Don't you understand?" I asked her "This is part of my duty Talia, I can't ask them to do something I'm not willing to do myself!"

"What good will you do to your pack if you end up dead?!" Countered Ms Winters

"You don't have the right to speak about it Ms Winters. My FAMILY knows what has to be done if anything happens to me in the line of duty" I retorted gritting my teeth "Gather up and let's head out" I ordered turning to leave and get on with the mission.

"Susan!" Desperately called me Talia making me freeze, she wrapped her arms around me and in less than a second she stupidly decided to kiss me then and there, but that was not the worse part, what truly made me blow up was the fact that she actually tried to enter my mind. She asked me to stay brushing her mind into mine, I could not believe she actually dared to do that after all we had been through, and knowing how I felt about telepaths violating my privacy; so I acted on impulse, I forced up the walls I had been creating for the past months around my mind and I ended up slapping her in the hopes that she did not notice what my mind had done. I truly did not want to hurt her, that was the least of my desires, but I was so angered I could barely measure my strength at the time. And me being as stubborn as I am, could not back out of what I had done, so I made up my mind about what I had to do. If I didn't leave her and Babylon 5 as soon as I went back from the rescue mission, I would end up surrendering myself to her and the damn Psi Corps if she asked me so.

"Captain Sheridan," I said addressing him when he helped Talia up, but while addressing him I was only glaring at my mate, I needed her to hate me. "I'm officially requesting to be re assigned to a different post, and I would like to ask for you to recommend me and fill in all the paper work required for that as soon as we come back. If you fail to do so I will present my resignation and leave the station on the next available transport ship" I turned around leaving a stunned John and a sobbing Talia.

* * *

**A/N**_: So? What do you think of this? _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 10 (36)**_

_**Healer**_

"Zeta and Alpha Wing Commence drop sequence. Power up to stand by" I heard John over the com link on the fighter. To this moment I'm not sure how I ended up inside the cockpit of my fighter and maybe that's the reason that what happened in hyperspace did, I must have forgotten or overlooked something on my systems.

"Alpha squad, standing by" I replied

"Zeta squad, standing by" stated Ray Calus

"An old friend of mine once quoted me an ancient Egyptian blessing. God be between you and harm and all the empty places where you must walk…" said John over the link, worry evident on his tone. "Bring the Cortes home"

"Relay B5's message from one to another" I reminded the pilots as soon as we crossed the gate. We mostly remained silent during the duration of the flight. Alternating one Alpha fighter and one Zeta fighter on the life line. The only communication we allowed between ourselves on those hours was status reports back to B5 and the mark where both Calus and I had to decide which pilots kept going farther and farther with us.

"Commander Ivanova, I've got the signal" said Calus when we were the last 'on going' fighters.

"Locking on" I responded as soon as I got the same signal he did. "Hold here" I ordered him

"Yes ma'am" I had barely advanced a few km when his fighter blew up and one of those infamous phantoms in hyperspace passed over my own fighter, forcing me to change course

"Navigational system inoperative. Communication disrupted" stated the computer system

"Engaging thruster"

"Negative function" continued the computer system to my annoyance. However that very moment I caught visual of the Cortes so I decided that I had to give them a chance, even if I had wasted mine. I lost control of the fighter and I was spinning out of control, but I managed to fire in regular intervals to the direction I had come from, hoping someone on the Cortes would catch up on what the firing meant. "Come on! Come on!" I kept repeating over and over, firing while trying to get the communication back on line too. Somehow I managed to do that. "Cortes, get out of here now!" I demanded over the link

"Starfury, this is the Cortes, we can come after you, do you copy?" said Maynard on the link

"Yes, I copy. But that's not gonna happen" I said sighing relieved that at least they were getting back "Engine's death. If you come after me we'll both get lost, though I'd like to make a request sir"

"Commander?" asked confused Maynard upon recognizing my voice

"I would like you to deliver a message for me and to be witness of my last will" I said thinking of the pack and Talia and the stupidity of my actions towards her.

"Go ahead Commander" said Maynard as the Cortes started a path toward home

"It is my will that my family is now to be guided by Mr Maher Padikkal. The Drazi on B5 now are to be leaded by Mr Maher Padikkal and Ms Louba Ivanova" I said as lone tears started to run down my cheeks. Now came the hardest part "Everything else I possess, including but not limited to credits, properties and personal belongings, are to be of Ms Talia Winters, under the condition that none of it is ever touched by Psi Corps in any way or form other than herself"

"I've witnessed this as your last will Commander Susan Ivanova" said Maynard over the link, the Cortes was almost out my view by then and the message I needed him to pass on to Talia was important too, so I hoped, even with the static, that it would make to her ears.

"Captain Maynard, please tell Ms Winters that I'm deeply sorry for everything, I never meant to hurt her. Tell Talia..." I choked then and had to take a deep breath before continuing "Tell Talia that she was right and I should have listened instead of running away all these months"

"Godspeed Commander" I finally heard over with a lot of static and I knew it was futile to try and send any other message or signal. So I did what I seldom did, I cried. I cried over my loss, I cried over Talia, I cried over my own stupidity. And when I managed to get a hold of myself, I engaged in the most futile of activities at the time. Reflect upon what could have been.

I don't know how long I was there doing nothing but reflecting on Talia, and my life. It certainly took me a while to come to terms with my imminent death, I was going to run out of oxygen soon and even when rationally I knew I would just fall asleep and not wake up ever again, it still hurt deeply knowing I would never get to see Talia's smiling face again. I was about to start what I assumed would be my last prayer when apparently God decided to answer it before I even got to it.

"Thrusters back on line." stated the computer system on the fighter which gave me little hope. "No lock on signal detected" I sighed defeated again as soon as that reached my ears, I still had no way to actually get back to B5, I had no lock on signal and I did not know where exactly I was after drifting for that long in hyperspace.

"Estimate remaining oxygen" I ordered dreadfully.

"2.5 hours" came the immediate response, and with that, my hope was lost again. It had taken us twice that time to reach the Cortes. I sighed and prepared myself once again for my last prayer when the phantom ship in hyperspace from earlier passed by again, this time giving me chills as it passed over my fighter.

"Computer, analyze flight path of unknown object" I requested as soon as I noticed it had sort of opened a jump point.

"Stand by" less than a minute later I had the results of the flight path of that vessel. I decided to use my last minutes following it, who knew, God had answered my prayer twice in less than a day so maybe there was something in that direction, a jump gate with some luck.

Boy was I glad when I got a lock on signal coming from straight ahead and it was no other than B5's jump gate, with me still having 10 minutes of oxygen left. So with renewed spirit I headed there, determined to make things right. I had to talk to Talia as soon as I was back on the station, granted, I would have to talk to the Pack too specially concerning this phantom vessels, and of course fill out my report for Earthforce too, but Talia was definitely my priority then, as she is now, as she should had been since the moment I realized my feelings for her.

"Activate jump gate sequence" I ordered as soon as I reached the gate. A second later the gate opened and I was relieved to see Babylon 5 straight ahead. "Babylon Control, Requesting permission to dock"

"Permission granted" said John a few seconds later clearly relieved

"Captain" I started tentatively as I approached the Station and commenced docking sequence "I would like to withdraw my request for re assignment. I'd very much like to stay here sir"

"Welcome Home Commander" Said John happily.

John was there smiling at me when I entered the locking room in the bays. I knew he expected me to follow procedure and debrief him in what had happened and then of course fill the proper report, but I really didn't care about protocol at the moment. Luckily he sensed that and smiled warmly at me.

"You can fill the report tomorrow Commander" I was about to protest, just out of habit mostly "Go to her Susan" I did not need further prompting, I ran to her quarters hoping just to see her and that she would forgive me and my stupidity.

I was not surprised to see a few members of the pack outside Talia's chambers when I reached them, actually, I was pleased and comforted by the fact that if anything were to happen to me, they would actually take care of her and make sure she was alright. They all turned to look at me as soon as my scent hit them. They all rushed to me and to ring on Talia's door. Maher opened and smiled broadly before engulfing me in a tight hug. I reluctantly accepted his display of affection while I scanned the room for my mate.

"She's taking a shower, shouldn't take much longer. We'll leave you alone" he said realizing I was looking for her. I smiled at him thanking him for his support. "We'll speak later" he said turning to leave taking Neeoma and the others with him.

I waited for a few minutes wanting to respect Talia's privacy but eager to make my presence known to her. It wasn't long before she came out and gasped upon seeing me.

"Is it really you?" she asked slowly approaching me

"Yes. It's me" I smiled warmly at her.

"I thought I lost you again" she whispered stroking her cheek, reminding me of what I had done several hours earlier.

"You haven't lost me" I told her standing right in front of her, lifting my hand to her cheek. Even without Talia's warning that she would not be able to keep her blocks up and that she would know all my thoughts and feelings, I knew I would be discarding the only real order I ever received from my mother –'Tell no one, let no one in.'- That was the main reason I was originally so adamant in staying away from telepaths. But I also knew from experience that I would not be able to uphold my own walls much longer around her.

"Are you sure?" she asked me leaning into my touch. "This might be a cruel dream"

"You're not dreaming Talia" I said still cupping her face and looking directly into her eyes.

"You wouldn't be touching me if you were real" she said closing her eyes as tears fell freely down her cheeks

"Talia?" I asked as her scent shifted "Ms Winters!" I called for her to snap out "Everything's fine. I'm fine" I told her when she opened her eyes

"Everything isn't fine!" She snapped at me taking a step back

"Then let me make it right. Talk to me Talia" I pleaded her barely following through Talia's scent shifts.

"You mean to me more than my own life, Susan" she whispered, tears still flowing through her face.

Breathing deeply, slowly, looking back to Talia's broken figure, I knew I couldn't take that anymore, which made me reach for her, stopping a few inches away from her, my hands cupping her face again. Our eyes locked, not daring to look away or blink. "Please stop me," I begged her not really meaning it.

"I can't," she whispered closing the distance between us, meeting my lips in a soft and tender kiss, she pulled back to gauge my reaction and when she caught sight of me smiling encouragingly to her, there was no restraint left, she pulled forward again making her feelings clearly known leaving no room for doubts.

Not wasting words but showing every emotion. Letting the other feel the overwhelming intensity of it all. I tangled my hand in her blonde hair, pulling her closer to me with the other one. As Talia tangled her hands carefully in my dark brown hair.

We finally pulled away, both breathing heavily, smiling at each other. Looking into each other's eyes, the world disappearing around us.

"So that's what was bothering you?" she asked teasing me.

I chuckled slightly, even when I was fearful of how she would react "I couldn't tell you. They can't ever learn about this, not one in the pack knows. I'm sorry"

"I can't have you pulling me away again." She told me, even when she knew I didn't want to go through that again. "The distance was killing me."

"It was to me too," I admitted.

"I know" She said pressing her forehead against mine "No more distance?"

"No more distance" I agreed reaching in to kiss her again.

**A/N**_: I was not sure how soon Susan would be ready for that, that's why it took so long. Now let's see how they cope with the aftermath of this issue. _

_I know I know. Now you're all eager to see this from Talia's perspective, right? So? What do you think of this?_

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 11 (37)**_

_**Healer**_

Hours passed in a blur for me after listening over and over to Susan's message. Tee had withdrawn so far inside my mind that I couldn't even get the comfort of her dealing with the same pain that I did, she had decided to simply step away and disappear, leaving me alone in my mourning.

I know there were a few moments that time in which even some of the Ambassadors had come to offer their condolences to me, the only conversations with them that I clearly remember are the ones with Ambassador Delenn, and the one with Ambassador Kosh, mainly because his appearance was certainly unexpected.

"Your feelings at the moment, are understandable" he said announcing his presence "Is there anything you need, anything at all?"

"I need to know Ambassador, why she recklessly decided to do that! WHY!?"

"Talia" Louba warned me in a soft whisper, her being the only one with me at the moment.

"That's who she is…" simply said Ambassador Kosh "if she had been any different; your love wouldn't be as strong or as important. None of you could accomplish your future" I looked up to him, knowing that Tee had taken control over my body again, we were ineffectively glaring at Kosh. "Words seem empty right now Ms Winters" he told me soothingly "But remember that everything happens for a reason, there's always a lesson to be learned" he added before turning to leave

Rationally, I knew he was right, if Susan had been any different, there was a huge chance that I would not have fallen in love with her, and it hurt so much to acknowledge that, that it was that precise moment when Tee decided to withdraw from my mind, leaving me alone.

Later that evening, Louba left me with Maher and Neeoma while she started the arrangements for us to sit Shiva for Susan. She asked me if I wanted it to be on the religious area on B5, or on Susan's own quarters. I choked on my words, I could not fathom how all of them were so unfazed by her death, sure, I could feel them mourn over the loss, but they were not hurting nearly as much as I did. At one point during the night I know for certain I even felt joy seeping from one of the people who had come to offer their condolences, and even when I'm not sure from whom it was, I have a pretty good idea of the culprit now. The only one who seemed half as lost and hurt as I felt, was Captain Sheridan, who had a conversation in my chambers with Ambassador Delenn, which is indeed the other conversation of the many I had that night that I clearly recall.

"I heard the news. I'm sorry for your loss" she told us both upon entering and seeing us sitting defeated and heartbroken on the couch

"It's the hard part, isn't it?" asked Captain Sheridan overcome with grief and regret "Sending people out there to die"

"But they saved others at the right moment" argued Ambassador Delenn "they were at the right place and knew what to do. As you did" she told directly to him

"What makes you think this is the right place for me?" he asked confused

"The Universe puts us in places where we can learn" she continued "And never easy places, but they are right" she said as I snorted "Wherever we are is the right place at the right time" she looked then directly in my eyes "Pain sometimes comes, but it's part of the process"

"Sounds like you've been doing a lot of thinking of this on your own" said frowning Captain Sheridan

"Perhaps we are all going through transitions, but the Universe knows what it's doing" said Delenn

"I wish I had your faith in the Universe" added sighing Captain Sheridan, and I couldn't help but silently agree with him. "I just don't see it sometimes"

"Then, I will tell you a great secret, perhaps the greatest of all time" added Delenn smirking at both of us but fixing her gaze upon on him "The molecules of our bodies are the same molecules that make up this station, and the nebula outside, the burn inside the stars itself. We are star stuff. We are the Universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out" she paused and looked at me again "Sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective" she concluded and left us there. A few minutes later Captain Sheridan retired and left me with Maher who had taken it upon himself to make sure I did not do anything reckless and stupid. He and Neeoma took care of me during those hours, and while Susan's pack stood guard outside my chambers, Neeoma ushered me to take a shower before I crashed on my bed.

I'm not sure how long I took in the shower, but when I went out I was frozen in my spot, completely certain that I had already fallen asleep, there was no other explanation as to why I was standing right in front of her.

"Is it really you?" I asked the vision in front of me, not daring to believe that she was really there

"Yes. It's me" she smiled unrestrained to me for the first time.

"I thought I lost you again" I whispered, as my hope began to build again, and slowly I could feel Tee coming forth again, curious to know if we were hallucinating or if Susan was indeed there with us.

"You haven't lost me" she said cupping my cheek. With that touch I could feel her love for me and I sadly came to the conclusion that she was not really Susan.

"Are you sure?" I asked leaning into the touch, savoring it even when it was not real. "This might be a cruel dream"

"You're not dreaming Talia" she said serious and locking her gaze with mine.

"You wouldn't be touching me if you were real" I added closing my eyes as despair filled me again and tears fell freely down my cheeks again

"Talia?" she asked softly, that moment Tee decided she wanted to take control over me, and I was too tired to fight against her, I wanted to sink down into my mind much as she had done earlier, I wanted her to deal with this cruel dream "Ms Winters!" yelled Susan proving once again she could tell the difference between Tee and myself, an hallucination shouldn't be able to do that, right? "Everything's fine. I'm fine" she said looking me in the eye as soon as I opened my own eyes

"Everything isn't fine!" snapped Tee taking a step back from Susan. It was official, we were then, as people said, losing our marbles.

"Then let me make it right. Talk to me Talia" she pleaded us.

"You mean to me more than my own life Susan" I whispered taking control again, as Tee decided to back away.

Susan looked directly into my eyes again and I could see reflected on them everything I felt for her. She walked toward me and cupped my face again. "Please stop me,"

"I can't," I whispered knowing she was leaning in to kiss me, however she stubbornly stopped less than a centimeter away from my lips, which prompted me to close the distance between us, I slightly pulled back when I felt a rush of everything she was feeling into my mind; she smiled tenderly at me, she wasn't hiding any of her feelings at this moment, she was being completely open and she was no longer restraining herself, it was such a beautiful sight.

I leaned in again and the moment our lips met once again I understood everything, it was an amazing experience, the best until then. Even better than any love making I had been part of. I slowly felt her mind opening to me and letting me in her most precious and private thoughts and feelings.

It is an experience hard to explain, quite intense actually. The closest to it would be like having a conversation with yourself when you know exactly what you're thinking about before you actually put into words the thought itself. Like right now, if I ask you to write a letter, you have your thoughts ready with what you want to express but you don't have words yet on the paper or pad until you write them down, but your mind already knows that. That moment, that first unrestrained kiss between Susan and myself, was like that. And I understood. She was a telepath, she had been since being a child and her mother had instructed her not to tell anyone about it, and it had been a burden on her shoulders alone since the moment her mother passed away.

"So that's what was bothering you?" I asked her when we finally pulled away.

"I couldn't tell you. They can't ever learn about this, not one in pack knows. I'm sorry" She said chuckling slightly, but clearly still hesitant of what I would do with that information

"I can't have you pulling me away again." I told her seriously. Tee silently agreeing with me, but not demanding to be acknowledged. "The distance was killing me."

"It was to me too," she admitted sheepishly.

"I know" I told her pressing our foreheads together "No more distance?"

"No more distance" she agreed reaching in to kiss me again.

I felt again like my head was swimming in a pool of emotions and memories, and my mind was desperately trying to catch up. Somehow during that collage of emotions going back and forth between the two of us, we ended up laying on my bed, tangled for a long while, getting used the feel of each other. At some point Susan got rid of our clothes and I ended up on my back, with her body hovering above mine, her hands running eagerly up and down my body, as if memorizing every inch of it.

I felt her lips run along my neck, trailing lower as her nostrils flared, no doubt getting hit by the scent of our arousals combined. "You're gorgeous" I managed to pant between moans and I felt her smirk against my skin. Her hands trailed to my hips, tracing non discerned patterns as she went, trailing dangerously close to the one place I wanted her to be.

She lifted her head to kiss me again, her thigh falling between my legs, bearing her weight down on my centre. I groaned, and she pushed into me. She pulled away to let us breathe, leaning her weight on one arm and looking down at me, hair framing her face, eyes dark and wild.

"I love you," she murmured so quietly that I barely even heard her, but my eyes snapped up widening to meet hers when the words registered. '_I love you so much_' her mind added on that moment, effectively turning our minds into mirrors reflecting our emotions back and forth over and over again; however, unlike previous experiences I had, the feeling did not hurt at all, even when it was deeper and more profound than anything either of us had experienced before, it was filling a hole in our souls none of us knew existed until that very moment; I firmly believe that previously it had hurt because it was not as perfect and fulfilling as it is being with one another.

We laid on our backs for a while before Susan rolled to face me, a tender smile on her face, "It's you" she said sleepily "It's always been you" she added snuggling into me.

"What have I been?" I asked amused tracing my fingers up and down her waistline

"My mate" she added yawning before dozing off.

I already knew that I was her mate and what it entailed, Susan had explained before that it was like marriage, and in part it was, but after being in her mind when she thought about it, I understood the complexity of it, or I thought I did, the truth is that changed the moment I myself felt the mating instincts, but at the time, I had grasped the basics and thought it was the complexity of mating.

I knew she was exhausted both mentally and physically after the day she had had. And I was worried about what she let slip on her mind a moment before she retreated from my own, that shadow in hyperspace and how she had actually made it back to Babylon 5. I felt tears well up on my eyes when I remembered how devastated I had felt when the possibility of never seeing Susan again because she left, paled in comparison of not seeing her ever again because she had died. I gently reached and combed my fingers through her damped locks; she sighed in her sleep and wriggled closer to my touch, eliciting a smile on my face. I played with her hair for a while before my eyes too drooped closed.

I woke up first a few hours later, I squinted my eyes before flipping around and coming face to face with Susan's slumbering visage. It was obvious from the way her face was contorting with a frown that she was still worried about everything that had happened and all her responsibilities, I wished I could help her and ease the burden she had on her shoulders with everything; her family, her pack, Earthforce, the Drazi…

I reached out a hand and brushed aside Susan's hair from her frame before leaning forward to press a kiss to her brow. She let out a sigh and much to my delight, shifted towards me, seeking my embrace even in her sleep. I circled my arms around Susan and pulled her to lie on top of me as I settled onto my back again, content to hold my love for a while longer. I knew that we'd have to leave the comfort of our embrace soon, I had a couple of meetings to attend to, even when I had to make sure first that Maher or Louba had not cancelled them the day before; and Susan had to report back to duty and fill in all the Earthforce required forms and reports, besides, she also had to have a meeting with her pack.

I sighed before pressing a grateful kiss on Susan's brow again, content that we'd given into our passion and she had finally let me in. I closed my eyes as memories of the night before washed over me; Susan's smile the whole time and the look she had worn before falling into sleep, filled my heart with joy.

I felt Susan smile against my skin as she slowly returned from the land of dreams. "mmmh" she sighed snuggling closer

"Good morning" I said softly as she looked up into my eyes

"What time is it?" she asked still draped over my body

"600hrs" I told her proud of myself of knowing to use military time. Susan's lips quirked in a smile for a second before panic marred her features; she hastily stood and frantically looked for something to cover herself. I frowned at her actions, was she really going to pull that stunt again? "Susan!" I called for her attention. "What's wrong? Do you regret this?" I asked hurt by the conclusion I had reached.

"Sorry," she gasped. "I…" she swallowed and sat on the mattress at my side, leaning forward to rest her forehead against mine "I rushed things last night and basically ruined what should have been a really special moment between us. I think…"

I kissed the side out her mouth to stop her rant, "It was a special moment Susan, more than special." I told her kissing her again, then I got hit by her thoughts again. I sighed "You want to take it slow."

"Is that okay?" she asked looking down

"Susan," I ducked down to catch her eye, "even when I do believe that any slower between us would be going backwards, I'm your mate, and you're worth taking it as slow as you want" I said leaning in to hold her in my arms again

"That's part of the issue Talia" she sighed. "I really don't want you to feel pressured by what you learned last night"

"I love you, you knew that before last night, my feelings for you did not just changed overnight by some sort of divine revelation" I told her in a serious tone "But I understand. It was overwhelming for me too. Just don't push me away, okay?" Susan nodded and hugged me back "Do you want to curl up with me a little longer?"

Instead of saying yes Susan tackled me and swiftly moved so she was spooning me keeping me between her strong arms with such care and love that I couldn't help but let my mind walls down again. I decided that even if she wouldn't do that because of her prejudice against telepaths, every time we were alone I would let all my walls down for her. She kissed the back of my neck and snuggled closer.

"We okay?" she asked tightening her hold when she noticed my mind was broadcasting to her without any expectation whatsoever.

"We're good Commander."

We stayed like that for a few moments before Susan shifted away and sat up in bed. The movements made me frown against my will. She turned to look at me with a gentle smile, "I would much prefer to stay here with you Talia, but the daily boom will not wait," She cocked her head and I became aware of the chirpings at my door, my communication system and Susan's com badge. "Nor will the Universe by the sound of it."

* * *

**A/N**_: It was really hard to come to this point, I know we've all been waiting for this since chapter one, okay, maybe since chapter 2, but still, it's been a long awaited point in the story, though I'm not so sure how I feel about this chapter yet, so let me know if it was good, bad, or just er, something else entirely?_

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 12 (38)**_

_**Healer**_

When we finally were ready to face the day, Susan and I parted ways on my doorstep, she headed to the Dome and I for Zocalo for my first meeting of the day. I was still thrilled and lost in thought due to the last 30 hours or so of my life, which is why I was literally walking on autopilot and failed to notice the crowd at Zocalo, where I ended up bumping into Ambassador Kosh.

"I'm sorry. I was not paying attention to where I was going" I told him apologetically, but he just stood there saying nothing, when I excused myself and tried to move past him, he simply blocked the path. "Ambassador Kosh, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I wish to engage your services" he said simply

"For what?" I literally had no idea what could he possibly need me for

"Business"

"What sort of business?"

"Important" I mentally rolled my eyes at his monotone and unhelpful answers

"Ambassador, I'd be happy to assist you, but there are certain details I must know before I take any commission" I explained him hoping to get more information. "Not to mention getting clearance for-"

"All arranged" he said interrupting me "As is payment. We will meet at Red 3 for the week starting tomorrow at the hour of scampering" Ambassador Kosh then turned and left me a little confused, however I did not have much time to ponder about this, seeing as I was already running late for my appointment.

After my meeting with a small alien delegation that wanted assistance with their purchases for their trip back home, I met up with Susan for a little while during her lunch break.

I told her about my strange meeting with Kosh earlier and she seemed as worried and confused as I was.

"I'm sure I'm just overreacting" I told her trying to sooth us both "After all, it took me by surprise his visit last night. Maybe he planned this yesterday to distract me from my mourning and he does not know yet you're fine"

"He came to you last night?" she asked, a hint of anger and dread on her tone

"He said that you are who you are and that's the reason we love each other" I told her nodding

"There's still a lot we need to talk about" she stated after a moment

"I know" I assured her cupping her face "Dinner tonight?" I asked offering a setting for us to talk about everything, but she cringed and I felt hurt, which made me drop my hand in disappointment.

"It's not that I don't want to Talia. I agreed to meet with the pilots and other officers at Earheart's" she said honestly "How about you join us, and leave dinner for some other time this week?"

I smiled when I notice she was just nervous and not upset about our current development. "I'll see you there then" I said after briefly kissing her lips, then I left for my next appointment.

The rest of the day passed in a blur and soon Susan was sitting by my side at Earheart's

"To Commander Calus. Best squadron leader I've had" toasted Warren Keffer, a pilot with whom Susan tended to drink with from time to time.

"Calus!" came the immeadiate response of all the pilots gathered around

"So you have no idea at all of what caused the disruption that nearly took you down?" asked Mr Keffer to Susan, taking her by surprise. I sensed her hesitation; she had let it slip during our time together the previous night that she would not let Earthforce know about her assumptions and the Rangers yet.

"And saved her" I added hoping to provide her with a distraction, while I gently squeezed her hand that was posed between mine on my lap.

"When I saw it glitching for a second, I figured it must had its own lock on" she told the people gathered around after smiling at me. "but it was nothing like I've ever seen before. When I came to that, I hoped it was heading to a gate direction, so I headed there too" she said tightening her grip on my own hand "As for what it was… I don't know. I just had this feeling of something dark and dangerous around"

"This feeling that something's out there, you just never forget" said Captain Maynard

"I wanna know what it is" added enthusiastically Mr Keffer.

"I'm sure we'll find out one of these days" said somberly Susan. Worried, I guessed, about the Mimbari and Narn legends on the matter.

"At the moment that investigation is not our first order of business" added Mr Garibaldi in his usual nonchalant attitude

"There is one other" interrupted Captain Sheridan. It turned out that Susan had recommended Mr Keffer to be promoted as Commander of the Air Group and take the place of Commander Calus. We stayed there a few more hours celebrating his promotion and Susan's return home. After a while, Susan offered to escort me back to my quarters which I promptly accepted.

"Good night Talia" she said as we reached our destination

"Won't you come in?" asked Tee taking control over me again, obviously wanting to spend time with Susan too, let her get to know her too. I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of that, though I could hardly hold it against either Tee or Susan.

"I don't think so Ms Winters, though we need to talk" Said Susan sighing.

Tee smirked but retreated to the back again. '_She only wants you_' she told me sad and defeated before surrendering complete control of my body to me "You're amazing, you know that?" I told Susan smiling at her.

She smiled back but shook her head. "We'll talk soon. See you tomorrow"

Not knowing exactly what Ambassador Kosh had meant with 'the hour of scampering', I walked the next morning into Red 3 for my appointment with him, hoping that I had been right about what I told to Susan and this was just his riddling self trying to help out.

"Ambassador Kosh, all the clearance seems to be in order and the payment is very generous" I told him truthfully, having double checked all that the night before. "However there is something I still don't understand"

"Understanding is a three edge sword" he said somberly as a man with a weird hat and strange purple suite walked in.

"Oh Kosh! You old dog" He greeted Ambassador Kosh before turning to me "you didn't tell me you were bringing a date"

"I'm Talia Winters. Licensed commercial telepath. Psi Corps rating P5" said Tee taking over with my consent; none of us liked the appearance of this situation "I'll be sitting in on the negotiations on behalf of Ambassador Kosh"

"Ah! I'm a 23 myself" said the mysterious man amused "A good number. Call me Abbut" I nodded in understanding

"Please scan" requested Ambassador Kosh. I turned to look at him expecting a clarification on his part "Abbut. Report to me his thoughts at present"

"Oooh! Goody! Nothing like a good mind scan to clear the old processor" said thrilled and more than amused Abbut while placing his hands on this head closing his eyes. Tee and I both joined our efforts to scan him when Tee's original scan came empty, however even with the both of us, it was the same

"He has no thoughts, at all" I told confused to Ambassador Kosh, then I turned to Abbut himself "It is as if his mind were empty"

"Excellent. We may commence now business. Abbut?" prompted Kosh

Abbut looked around for a moment, as if to make sure no one else was listening in at the time, then he leaned over the table "Crab… Nebula"

"The willows must scuttle carefully" said Kosh

"Does Saturn have rings?" asked Abbut. I stared dumbfounded at him, then at Kosh before rolling my eyes and sighing. This back and forth of nonsense kept going between them for several hours

"The talks are over for the day" stated Kosh standing behind me "We shall commence tomorrow at the hour of longing"

"Suites me" stated Abbut a moment before Ambassador Kosh turned and left.

"Ambassador?" I called him trying to catch up "Ambassador Kosh!" I practically yelled at him as we reached a turbolift and waited for it to arrive.

"There is a question?" he asked finally acknowledging me

"Yes, I've been scanning Mr Abbut all day and his mind is just as empty as it was when we started" I told him intrigued by that "And then, these phrases you keep speaking in, they don't make any sense"

"Ah, you seek meaning" he said understanding as the turbolift arrived

"Yes"

"Then listen to the music, not the song" he said boarding the lift and leaving me as confused as before. After a moment I turned to leave too but stumbled upon Abbut.

"Ms Winters, could I buy you a drink?" he offered smiling "A Jovian Sunspot would taste good right now"

"Mr Abbut, can you tell me what these negotiations are all about?"

"I could, but it's not good to reflect too much" he said smirking before an image of myself trapped in a dark room assaulted my mind "A problem?" he asked me noticing my discomfort

"No. I'm just tired" I told him "I think I'll just go to my quarters and have some rest for a while"

"Ah, rest is good" he added still smirking "And so is a nice slim pastrami, with a little mustard and an Antaran pickle. Maybe another time?"

I placed a hand on my head feeling a head ache building. I turned and left to my quarters, all the way arguing with Tee.

'_That image was me_' she told me upset '_before Jason came and set me free, I was there! You usually never listened to anything I had to say, I was trapped within my own mind!_'

'_It's my mind too!_' I told Tee fuming

As I reached my quarters I found a message from Susan stating that things were going to be a little hectic on the station for a while and that our time together would be somewhat restricted, seeing as it appeared that the infamous Deathwalker from the Dilgar community, had arrived to Babylon 5 and many worlds wanted to see her taken to justice. I spent the rest of the day in reclusion in my quarters.

Next morning I got ready and as I reached Red 3 again, I left total control to Tee again. We had argued a lot during the whole evening and we had reached an agreement. "Ambassador" I greeted him upon arrival "I thought about this overnight and I don't believe that I can continue with this assignment"

"Your belief does not enter into it. We have a contract"

"I know that, but you don't really need a telepath" I argued

"What is need, compared to the path?" he asked as Abbut strolled in.

"Ah! Traffic was murder but here I am. Ms Winters, so lovely to see you again" he said bringing my gloved clad hand to his lips. As that happened, I got a glimpse of myself again, this time laying in the middle of a room with machines going haywire. After a moment of silence in the room, they decided it was time for the nonsense of the day.

"The herring is just the herring, but a good cigar is a Cuban" blurted Abbut about an hour later

"A stroke from the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles" said Kosh. There was a moment of silence before he continued "We are finished for the day, we'll concur again tomorrow at the hour of ticking.

That evening I did encounter Susan. She was still at the Dome, she had managed to make the alien delegations claiming a right to judge Deathwalker, to argue with one another for that right, though it later became an argument for the right to attack B5 first.

"Tough day" I told her offering her take out, knowing she had not eaten yet. She smiled at me taking the offer and opening to see its contents, clearly hungry, though she made a face upon noticing what I had brought her. "You still have to follow your 'food plan' until the Doctor says otherwise"

"You shouldn't gang up against me, it's far from fair" she said starting to eat the contents anyway "You know if I keep like this, I'll end up gaining weight, right?"

I chuckled and nodded, stepping a few inches away from her "It will suite you. And you need your strength and your energy back" I leaned in to peck her lips but she stepped back as an officer from the night shift entered the Dome. I sighed and took a step back again. "Besides, as slow as we take it Susan" I told her in a serious tone "I still want to take care of you, I've been trying to make sure you're properly fed for months, remember?"

"Thank you" she said simply but with a warm smile plastered on her face

The meeting next morning with Ambassador Kosh and Abbut was like the previous two. Nonsense back and forth. I thought about what Ambassador Kosh said regarding listening the music instead of the song, and the moment I tried to do that he interrupted my musings.

"Do you understand Ms Winters?" he asked me in a tone one would use with a child. However as soon as the question was registered by my ears I got hit by another vision. I was being attacked by a shadowed man who broke a crystal bottle and hold it against my throat. I screamed, both in my vision and in real life, clasping both of my hands to my throbbing head. "Our business are concluded" he said as I was panting trying to get back some semblance of control

"You were swell" said Abbut smiling at me "Maybe we can take that Jovian Sunspot sometime" I was still panting and a moan escaped my lips due to the intense pain I was feeling in my head at the moment "Kosh, old boy. A pleasure as always." said Abbut taking off his hat which let me see for the first time that his head was full of circuits, kind of like a robot. I watched him take out a crystal data from his head and provide it to Kosh. "Let's do lunch soon." He told Kosh "Ms Winters" he added politely waving goodbye to me and retreating.

"What is he? And what was on the data crystal he gave you?" I asked Kosh demanding for answers

"Reflection. Surprise. Anger. Terror." He said turning his attention to me "Resulting in unity… A gift" he added before leaving me behind. The experience had been so intense that I dropped down on the floor and sobbed for what I thought was only a few minutes.

I walked into Zocalo and joined Mr Garibaldi and Captain Sheridan on the bar of the Casino as soon as I noticed them there, I needed to speak with both Susan and the Captain.

"Ms Winters, Ivanova was looking for you" said a smiling Captain Sheridan. However he frowned slightly for a moment before shaking his head and putting the smile back on again.

"Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?" I asked with certainty "I think I may have a problem with Ambassador Kosh" I informed him when I knew I had his complete attention

"Join the club" snorted Mr Garibaldi

"What's wrong?" Asked Susan from behind me. I turned to her and she was frowning too, though I could see in her eyes that she was worried about me.

I sighed "You know I was hired by Kosh to mediate in a business deal" I told Susan who simply nodded. Frown still in place. "But nothing about it made sense. They spoke in riddles. And I kept getting these images in my head"

"What kind of images?" Asked Captain Sheridan. Now all three officers were frowning.

"Well, at first just quick flashes, but then…" I stopped to gather my thoughts in order to find a way to explain about that "A few years ago I was assigned to scan a suspect in a murder case on a Mars Colony. He was a serial killer. I've never been in a mind like that, not even Mr Mueller's mind was as perverse as this" I told them, comforted by the fact that Susan knew how upset I had been after being in Mueller's mind. "His thoughts were brutal, violent… terrible. I still have nightmares about it. And today… I felt the same thoughts again. But this time it was not a nightmare, it was deliberately provoked" I said frowning now myself, realizing that Tee had been oddly quiet since the end of the meeting with Kosh and Abbut.

"Who was Kosh dealing with?" Asked Susan through gritted teeth

"Another alien. He said his name was Abbut" I told her taking her hand in mine for reassurance, not sure if to her or to me.

"Funny little guy with a big hat who drinks Jovian sunspots?" asked Garibaldi amused

"Yes! That's him. Do you know him" I said tightening my grip on Susan's hand

Garibaldi nodded nonchalantly "He's a ViCaR. It's a slang term from old Earth tech, a VCR. They're cyber-organic, living recorders. Part machine, part sentient" he explained "Several of the alien races use them, they can record just about anything. Sight, signs, biorhythms, thought pattern, you name it…" he paused for a moment, maybe gauging our reactions "I'd say you were set up"

"But why?" Asked Susan for me

"The vorlons are leery of telepaths" said Captain Sheridan "If Kosh knows what you fear the most, he can use it against you in the future"

I chanced a glance at Susan and I could practically see the wheels spinning in her mind. None of use needed to open our minds at the moment, both of us were thinking exactly the same. She nodded somberly and lead me to her quarters. It was time to settle down and talk about many things.

* * *

**A/N**_: Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 13 (39)**_

_**Healer**_

To this day, I simply do not have words to describe the feelings and the perfection of our first time together. It was luckily the first of many, and each time, we go deeper and deeper within one another; but that first night is simply beyond words. One thing that I realized was that when we literally became one mind, Tee had merged with Talia too, merging in the process also their scents, resulting in the most amazing and lovely scent ever in my life, and I realized why my wolf was somewhat fidgety and not entirely comfortable in any relationship I'd had. I don't know how Talia didn't see it then when she learned about being my mate. I had mated at sight to her on the woods when we were children, that had to be the reason it never felt so right with anyone else, even with my ex-fiancée whom both my wolf and I deeply loved; and my wolf had only been confused for a while due to Talia's shifting scent, but there was no doubt anymore, Talia and Tee had been one as they claimed and I had mated to her when they were one, that's why both her scents on B5 made my wolf swoon. I knew as I woke up only to Talia's scent and not Tee's or their combined one, that I had to find a way to make them merge permanently, make them whole again.

After my mild panic attack in Talia's quarters when I woke up in her arms, I began to ponder how I would deal with everything that was currently on my plate. It took me a moment still draped around her body before realizing that our communication systems were demanding our attention. After both of us got up and ready I reported to John's office for debriefing while Talia headed up for her meetings.

When I finished my official report to Earthforce I headed for my post and during lunch time, spoke with Maher, Louba, Ha'Rok and Elafe; I needed to confirm my suspicions with them. I was informed that Oscar and Nikita had managed to befriend one of the mysterious Rangers and had been offered a place to train with him in Mimbar and apparently they were just waiting for approval on my part before parting.

I met up with Talia for a few minutes before reporting back to my post. It appeared that she had bumped into Kosh who had hired her services for the week starting the next day, but she felt something weird was going on. I would have to keep an eye out on that issue, it was not common for Ambassador Kosh to hire a telepath being him a telepath himself, so it worried me.

"I'm sure I'm just overreacting" said Talia after a moment "After all, it took me by surprise his visit last night. Maybe he planned this yesterday to distract me from my mourning and he does not know yet you're fine"

"He came to you last night?" I asked concerned

She nodded "He said that you are who you are and that's the reason we love each other"

I sighed "There's still a lot we need to talk about"

"I know" she said cupping my face in her leather clad hand "Dinner tonight?" she asked hopeful and I couldn't help but cringe, I had already made plans with the other officers.

"It's not that I don't want to Talia" I told her truthfully "I agreed to meet with the pilots and other officers at Earheart's. How about you join us, and we leave dinner for some other time this week?" I asked her hopeful

She smiled, obviously sensing me fidgeting. She leaned in and pecked me softly on my lips "I'll see you there then" she added before turning to head to her next appointment of the day

As soon as I reported to my post, I was dragged by John to the Medlab facilities for a complete check up, he stated he just wanted to make sure everything was fine, especially considering that the fighter had no oxygen left at all by the time I docked.

"Susan" he called for me as I returned from medlab several hours later, a few minutes actually before the end of our shift

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to tell me now what's really going on with Ms Winters?" he asked concerned

"We… we overcame our differences John. I uncomplicated it" I told him not understanding what he was fishing for

"So will you tell me about her shifting scent now?" I looked abruptly into his eyes, having completely forgotten until that moment that even when he was not a wolf, he did have heightened senses because of me saving his life back on IO.

"I…I…" I stuttered for a whole minute before forming coherent thoughts, and it was only because I felt his amusement. "It's not my place to tell. I'll talk to her about it"

"Whenever you're ready" he said smiling softly "Have you ever had a long talk with Ambassador Delenn?" He then asked me pensively as we headed toward Earheart's

"From time to time… why?" I asked curious

"She and the Universe seem to have a special relationship" he said still pensive

"Don't we all?" I asked amused, he chuckled and nodded his agreement as we reached our destination

"To Commander Calus. Best squadron leader I've had" toasted Warren when we all had our drinks in front of us

"Calus!" immediately called out all the pilots and the officers gathered at Earherat's

"So you have no idea at all of what caused the disruption that nearly took you down?" asked me Warren intrigued. I felt scrutinized by him, Mr Garibaldi and Captain Maynard. I had not even told John about my suspicions regarding the legends, the only ones who knew the truth about all this were Maher, Louba, Elafe, Ha'Rok, with whom I had talked earlier that day, and of course Talia who was sitting by my side currently keeping my left hand trapped in her right one.

"And saved her" said Talia giving my hand a gentle squeeze in reassurance. I sent her a grateful smile and sighed before turning my attention back to Warren

"When I saw it glitching for a second, I figured it must had it's own lock on" I told them truthfully "but it was nothing like I've ever seen before" I said locking eyes with John, then returned my attention to everyone else "When I came to that, I hoped it was heading to a gate direction, so I headed there too" I added tightening my grip on Talia's hand "As for what it was… I don't know. I just had this feeling of something dark and dangerous around"

"This feeling that something's out there, you just never forget" said somberly Maynard

"I wanna know what it is" said Warren in a determined tone

"I'm sure we'll find out one of this days" I told him hoping he would leave it be

"At the moment that investigation is not our first order of business" added Garibaldi taking me by surprise

"There is one other" interrupted John "Lt, I understand this isn't really a very good time for this" he added addressing Warren "But Zeta Squadron needs a new Commander. After consulting with Commander Ivanova, I've decided to give it to you"

"Congratulations" I told him followed by Captain Maynard and curiously a reluctant Garibaldi. We spent a couple more hours toasting to the fallen CAG, Warren's promotion, and my survival; until I noticed Talia's tired form, which prompted me to retire from the celebration

"Good night Talia" I told her when we reached her quarters

"Won't you come in?" asked me Tee. I sighed when I realized that I had been calling Talia's alter persona Tee too, instead of Ms Winters as I had originally planned to.

"I don't think so Ms Winters, though we need to talk" I told her.

She smirked before letting Talia take control again "You're amazing, you know that?"

I smiled at her, and even when my wolf demanded me to just go inside with her and curl up in her arms, I decided to retire for the night. "We'll talk soon. See you tomorrow"

The days following the second departure of the Cortes from B5, were crazy as hell on the station, it all started less than an hour after the Cortes left, when a Mimbari vessel docked on the station, as soon as the pilot of said vessel boarded, she was viciously attacked by Na'Toth, Ambassador G'Kar's attaché, claiming that said stranger was the infamous Dilgar leader, Deathwalker. According to the records of landing and boarding, the pilot was called Gyla Lobos and was a protégé of the Wind Swords, a clan within the Warrior Cast back in Mimbar.

When questioned about her actions, Na'Toth stated that she knew it was Deathwalker because of Chon'kar and that Deathwalker's face was stamped on Na'Toth's mind and blood. I later asked Ha'Rok about this Chon'kar, he explained that it was a blood-oath, every Narn has made Chon'kar at some point in their lives, and it is their sacred duty to fulfill the oath, otherwise they die cowards and without honor. Ha'Rok said that what Na'Toth experienced, that uncontrollable rage, was the result of Chon'Kar. When Chon'Kar demands vengeance by the death of the aggressor to the Narn, they feel the need to comply with it, their senses burn with the nearness of their pray. If a generation is unable to fulfill Chon'Kar for whatever reason before breeding, then Chon'Kar is inherited to the next generation by genetics.

Of course, by the time Na'Toth was locked down and questioned about her actions, we did not know or understand about Chon'Kar, and we did not know the real identity of the woman that she had attacked, given the fact that she was unconscious and delicate in Medlab. Her identity ended up being confirmed due to data files on the station about the Dilgar, and the items found on the Mimbari vessel, however what troubled everyone was that the woman rendered unconscious looked young, way younger than she should have if she was who Na'Toth claimed her be.

You see, Jha'Dur, also known as Deathwalker, was the most vicious leader of the Dilgar during their invasion of the Non-Aligned worlds in 2230. It was said that she not only tortured, but experimented on living sentient beings just for the joy of it, not even for medical or technological purposes. Supposedly, the Dilgar had all died after their Sun went Nova.

Among the items on the Mimbari vessel, that ended up confirming her identity, Garibaldi found a small case with three small vials with an unknown substance, and a Dilgar Uniform with a plaque stating that it had belonged to War Master Jha'Dur.

A few hours after the incident between Jha'Dur and Na'Toth, we received a transmission from Earth, the president himself was demanding to speak at once with Captain Sheridan.

"Sheridan" I heard John's voice over the link as soon as I asked the system to contact him for me

"Captain, you have a transmission from President Clark"

"I'm on my way" I knew he would take the call in the privacy of his office, which is where I transferred the transmission. Not five minutes passed before John called for me to join him in his office, he stated that he was ordered to send this woman to Earth immediately as soon as she was fit to travel. A moment later Stephen contacted John sating that his patient had woken up and was demanding to speak with John. She told them that she was indeed Jha'Dur and that her research of years resulted in the serum she had with her, which purpose was to delay aging process and prevent diseases, it obviously had worked given the health and youth she presented. Upon learning this, John called for a staff meeting.

"According to the data we got back from Earth, she is Jha'Dur" said Stephen pacing nervously around John's office "which seems to support her allegations about the anti-agapic"

"Anti-what's-ic?" asked confused Garibaldi

"An immortality serum" I explained, remembering what my ex-fiancée told me once about the Hunters' leads on an investigation of something similar in order to have a better chance apparently, at catching us "The Russian Consortium as well as the American Republic, have been doing research in that direction without success"

"That's because it's a sham" said nonchalantly Garibaldi "She's lying to save her skin"

"My analysis suggests she isn't" stated Stephen somewhat defeated, finally halting his pacing

"President Clark agrees" said John frowning "He's given us a priority order to send Jha'Dur to Earth immediately. They plan to develop their discovery"

"Are you serious?" I asked furious "This woman made the Lertuac massacres look like a picnic and Earth wants to give her a grant?"

"Justice or Immortality" whispered Stephen "An intriguing choice"

"Jha'Dur infected the entire population of Latig 4 with Starford's plague just to see how long it'd take them all to die" I deadpanned

"She wiped out entire races. Destroyed whole planets. Experimented on living beings" added Stephen "Now she wants to make everybody immortal, why?"

"Maybe she's got a conscience" stated Garibaldi with his usual attitude

"Unlikely" I countered "Tyrants seldom show remorse for their brutality" I sighed

"We got the serum, if it's legit, we can finish his immortality serum ourselves" added Garibaldi

"No, the serum's complex. It would take years to develop without her input, maybe even impossible" stated Stephen frowning

I sighed again. "While I find Earth's moral stands… dubious on this, they are better equipped to handle an issue of this magnitude"

"Ivanova's right" said John after a moment "This one's too big for us. I want Jha'Dur's ship recharged and a federal escort ready in one hour. We'll take her through Blue 5 to avoid any attention"

I should have known it wouldn't go as planned, it never did. It was always boom after boom after boom back there, extremely rare and therefore dreadful those times whenever there was calm on B5.

* * *

**A/N**_: You know the drill, remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 14 (40)**_

_**Healer**_

While the crew was complying with John's orders to ready Jha'Dur's ship, I was contacted by Errial and Pec'ho, previous Green and Purple Leader, whom I had appointed to be my counselors in all Drazi politics. I was summoned to the Council chambers where we met also with Ambassador Mila Shaar, with whom my relation had been cordial at best since that incident with Malcolm and Talia and herself. I knew she had become more than acquaintance to Talia after that, but I was not sure if they were friends per sei or not.

"We need Drazi Leader to help Drazi" stated Pec'ho urging me to take a seat

"Commander, we were informed that the rumors of Deathwalker being on board, are no rumors at all, but the truth" said firmly Mila Shaar "The League of Non-aligned worlds is only missing the support of the Drazi in order to present a formal request to the council" I sighed knowing there was no easy way around this

"Drazi understand conflict Leader has" said Errial

"Drazi need Leader to acknowledge conflict and let Drazi make suggestion to aide Drazi" continued Pec'ho

I sighed again "I shouldn't be telling you this, but if you want to present a formal request, you have to contact the Captain now"

"Does that mean that we count with the Drazi to support the League?" asked me Mila Shaar. I nodded. "Is it truth that they will try to take her through Blue 5?" I looked up surprised by the fact that she had that information. "Thank you Commander" she added noticing my reaction, she then turned and left through the corridor followed by my two Drazi.

To say that John was upset when he stumbled upon the League representatives on his way through Blue 5, would be an understatement. As soon as the full assembly was called by the League, John had no choice but to accommodate Jha'Dur in secured quarters for her own protection, given the hour, the Assembly would have to wait until the next day.

"Did you tell them?" asked me John furious once we were in his quarters. I shook my head. "Then how do you explain they knew our route?"

"Look, I understand you're suspicious, but you know me. And I'm telling you, they took me by surprise too." I stated "As I already told you, they called for me and knew that I would be conflicted so they made the suggestion and I had to agree with them"

"All right" Said John sighing. "I got a message from our 'guardians' back home asking us to stall Jha'Dur's return to Earth as long as possible anyway"

"Do they think that President Clark's interest is related to-"

"Yeah" interrupted me John. "Have you thought about letting Ms Winters know about all this? Based on her interactions with Mr Bester and counting that the reports written by Commander Sinclair about her are accurate, it could be useful for us, especially now that you uncomplicated things with her" he asked me still serious

I nodded "I have, but I need to sort something out first, then it will be her choice if she aids us in this or not"

"Agreed. We cannot force anyone into this, otherwise it would be far too dangerous for us all"

"What about Stephen?" I asked John "You know he has resources and contacts too. And he cares about people, not organizations"

"Yeah, I was thinking about him. And Garibaldi too" I frowned and John noticed that "Something wrong with including Mr. Garibaldi? He's good"

"Yeah he is, but his 'nonchalant I don't give a damn about the world around me' attitude does trouble me" I confessed

"He's easy going that's for sure, but he doesn't seem to trust easily on others, his attitude might be part of his deal" countered John

"I'm not so sure what is it, something about him does set my wolf on edge" I sighed "It's your call though, if you think he wouldn't rat us and he'd be useful, go ahead"

"I have to ask, does he set your wolf on edge because he tried to court Ms Winters?" He rightfully asked. Mr Garibaldi was good at doing his job as Chief Security Officer of B5, logically he would be a great addition to our endeavors.

I shook my head "It's not only that. You've seen how he is when we are pressured into choosing a course of action; last time Mr Bester came here, Garibaldi seemed to dislike the idea as much as us, but he was adamant in us following the rules and protocol arguing it was the law."

"Let's keep an eye on him then, I think I rather trust your wolf than my guts, last time I didn't, I almost lost my life" he stated

Next day during the Council Meeting, as we should have predicted, things went down the airlock, again. According to John, Ambassador Kosh had decided not to participate. Ambassador Molari voted no on getting Jha'Dur to trial. Ambassador G'Kar voted yes on the condition that the trial was held on his home world, when the League refused, he changed his vote to no. Surprisingly, Lennier who was acting as proxy for the Mimbari Delegation since Ambassador Delenn was not on board at the moment, voted no. John of course voted yes, but that and the vote of the League were only two votes in favor against three on trialing Jha'Dur for her crimes, which obviously upset the League of Non-Aligned worlds.

No more than a couple hours after the Meeting was call to an end things started spiraling further down the shithole that Jha'Dur had dug for us.

"Commander, something's coming through the Jump gate" informed me the female young ensign on station one.

I walked up to my station and was somewhat relieved to see what had come through. "A Drazi Sunhawk. All stations at alert" I ordered, even when it was Drazi, it did not mean that it was good news, only that I had a better chance at controlling the situation than if it was a PakMara vessel. "Station Five, go to hyper track. Station One, open a com channel to the Drazi vessel."

"I've the Drazi Vessel online" I nodded upon hearing that and fixed my gaze upon the screen on my station

"Babylon 5, this is Makar Ashok. In the name of the Drazi Free-home, I demand immediate extradition of the war criminal Jha'Dur. Reject this demand and we will attack immediately" stated the Drazi captain of the vessel

"Drazi vessel moving into firing range." Stated Corwin "Scanners show weapons loaded and aiming to Babylon 5"

"All gun arrays, target to Drazi ship" I ordered before returning my attention back to the screen "Makar Ashok, this is Commander Susan Ivanova, current Drazi Green and Purple Leader on Babylon 5. In the name of the Drazi currently on board under my protection, as well as all the other living beings on board B5, I am, as your Leader on this sector, ordering you to back off or we'll be forced to stop you" I said as serious and imposing as I could "Our gun arrays are fixed now on your ship and we'll fire the instant you're in range. You'll find their power quite impressive" I added for good measure. "For a few seconds" I muttered under my breath as Makar fumed and ended the link.

"Drazi vessel is slowing" stated the ensign on station One. I sighed relieved, though that was short lived.

"Commander, there's another surge in the vortex" added Corwin less than a second later.

I looked up through the glass and there, coming out from the Gate, were several vessels from the Non-Aligned worlds, John chose that moment to barge fuming into CnC.

"What's happening?" he demanded to know

"The Drazi want immediate extradition of Jha'Dur, and though I have them under control I imagine that the Iska, the Vree, and the PakMara will make similar demands" I told him as I looked down to my station to read the report that I just got. "And, there are more League ships on the way"

"Can you stall them?" he asked a bit worried.

"I can try but-"

"Do it" he interrupted me and walked away.

I sighed but ended up opening a wide open com channel to all arriving vessels. "Welcome to Babylon 5. I am Commander Ivanova. How may we be of assistance?"

As predicted, all the ships from the League made the same demand as the Drazi, which I could understand, but understanding someone's actions is not the same as supporting them. It had already been a long day, it was already past lunch time and officially it would be just a few hours before my shift ended, but thanks to Makar and his assistance, I managed to make the alien delegations argue against each other for the right to extradite Jha'Dur. I was about to order some take out through the B5 com system when Talia's scent invaded my nostrils. She had come up to the Dome like she used to do before our fallout, bringing me something for lunch. I smiled gratefully at her, it seemed that she always knew when something was preventing me from having lunch.

"Tough day" she stated knowing it had been, while offering what I was certain was lunch. I smiled again upon taking the containers but had to frown when I opened them; inside there was a meal consisting on food elements that had been on Stephen's ordered diet. "You still have to follow your 'food plan' until the Doctor says you're clear to do so" she said with a knowing smirk

"You shouldn't gang up against me, it's far from fair" I told her before digging in, as unappealing as the food selection was, I was still hungry, after all, I hadn't had breakfast that morning, so actually I was famished by that moment. "You know if I keep like this, I'll end up gaining weight, right?"

She nodded and chuckled at that, staring right at me "It will suite you. And you need your strength and your energy back" I noticed her leaning in at the same time a crewmember stepped into CnC, so I backed away a little, preventing the kiss we both wanted, I was still on duty after all and it wouldn't do to set a bad example to the young and green officers. She sighed but respected my decision and stepped a few steps away. "Besides, as slow as we take it Susan, I still want to take care of you, I've been trying to make sure you're properly fed for months, remember?"

"Thank you" I told her truly grateful for her patience with me and my stubbornness.

John came back to the Dome about an hour after Talia left. "What's the situation?"

"Well, I've managed to make the ship captains engage into a debate over who has claim to Jha'Dur" I informed him "The winner will be the first to attack"

"Creative" he said amused "Let's hope it'll buy us enough time"

"Commander, the League ships are moving out of firing range" informed me Corwin

"What did you do?" I asked impressed

"I played a wild card" he said softly "But we're not out of this yet. I'll be in closed session with the League, which means you have to appoint someone here to take over your post"

I nodded "Station 5, take my post. Stay on alert" I ordered Corwin a moment before following John to the Council Chambers.

John managed to convince the League representatives to make a deal. It was an agreement between Earth and them, stating that since the Council had already made their decision clear on the matter, they had no other choice but to abide by this. John asked each of them to appoint a scientist from their worlds to help Earth's scientist to continue Jha'Dur's investigation, and when the serum was ready, Deathwalker would be handed to them for trial. The ships from the League retired from Babylon 5's space and it was agreed that their scientist representatives would contact Earth within the week. Jha'Dur would be shipped to Earth the next day.

"Commander" called me John as I was retiring for the night "Good job" I nodded in acknowledgement and headed to my quarters. I briefly considered calling Talia and paying her a visit, but to be honest I was mentally exhausted and we needed to have a long chat about everything, which lead me to simply lie down and sleep until morning came.

John told me that before he escorted Jha'Dur to her ship, she confessed to him and Mr Garibaldi who was with him, that 'the key ingredient to the anti-agapic cannot be synthesized. It must be taken from living beings, for one to live forever, another one must die' According to her, the purpose of that was that all the living sentient beings that wanted the serum would fall upon one another like famished raging wolves. The billions who lived would be a testimony of her work, while the billions who were murdered for it, would be a continuance of said work. It was sick and twisted so I must say that I was glad that her plans were crushed.

As soon as John left her to her vessel, he and the Ambassadors, minus Delenn who still was not on board B5 and Kosh who was still absent; were gathered with all of the Dome staff to oversee Jha'Dur's departure.

"Mimbari Flight 969 now leaving the docking center" said the young Ensign as Ambassador Kosh appeared under the threshold of CnC.

"Ambassador Kosh?" asked Garibaldi surprised by his appearance as Jha'Dur's ship approached the Jump Gate

"Stand by to activate Jump-" I started to give the command but was interrupted mid order

"Commander, something's coming through the vortex" informed Corwin

"It's a Vorlon ship" said Garibaldi gaping as all of us were, at the vessel that came through the Gate. We were all stunned into silence for at least a minute at what happened next, the Vorlon ship attacked and destroyed the Mimbari ship in which Jha'Dur was leaving for Earth, then, as soon as it destroyed Deathwalker, the Vorlon vessel left through the Jump Gate

"Well… all that's well ends well, huh?" tried to joke Ambassador Mollari breaking the silence

"Why?" asked a furious John to Kosh

"Not everyone is ready for immortality." Stated Kosh somberly, as if staring at me "You're not ready yet" he added then addressing apparently not only John but all the Ambassadors there too. He left after that, leaving fuming and bewildered Ambassadors.

It took hours to control the situation, but John managed to calm down the League members and I'm pretty sure he prevented a war against the Vorlon, a war may I add, that we would all have lost.

"A little ironic don't you think?" asked me John when our shift was over as we headed out CnC toward Zocalo where he would meet up with Garibaldi "We finally decide to keep Jha'Dur alive and the Vorlons come and smoke her" he sighed pondering about what had happened

"Not really" I told him "I don't agree with the Vorlon's methods, but we have to admit that Kosh is right about it."

"So says the immortal one" he added teasingly

"You refused to be part of this select group" I teased back

"You think it'll always be like this Susan? Little powers at the mercy of bigger powers? Politics before morality?"

"Seems to work for everybody" I told him serious "Except you. Maybe that's why I like you" I added smiling as we reached Zocalo "I'll catch up with you later, I have to speak with Talia first"

"About her scent? Or about bringing her in on what we're doing?" he asked me a little concerned

"Mostly about where we stand, she and I" I told him walking away, avoiding further questioning

I walked away from him at the bar as he started to chat amiably with Garibaldi. I looked around for Talia getting hit by her scent, but not the one I was used to or the one belonging to Tee, but her scent, the one that had resulted during our night together, and I frowned noticing she was walking toward John and Garibaldi.

"Join the club" snorted Mr Garibaldi to Talia as I reached them

"What's wrong?" I asked standing behind her.

She sighed and turned around to face me "You know I was hired by Kosh to mediate in a business deal" I nodded, prompting her to continue "But nothing about it made sense. They spoke in riddles. And I kept getting these images in my head"

"What kind of images?" Asked John stealing the words from my mouth

"Well, at first just quick flashes, but then…A few years ago I was assigned to scan a suspect in a murder case on a Mars Colony. He was a serial killer. I've never been in a mind like that before, not even Mr Mueller's mind was as perverse as this" She said trying to explain us what she had experienced, I knew it had been hard for her doing the scan on Mueller and given that, I could not even imagine how this mind she was talking about had felt for her. "His thoughts were brutal, violent… terrible. I still have nightmares about it. And today… I felt the same thoughts again. But this time it was not a nightmare, it was deliberately provoked"

"Who was Kosh dealing with?" I asked barely containing a growl. I had to speak urgently with Talia about it, and her scent and maybe even with Kosh himself.

"Another alien. He said his name was Abbut" she said taking my hand, immediately soothing me.

"Funny little guy with a big hat who drinks Jovian sunspots?" asked Garibaldi amused

"Yes! That's him. Do you know him" said Talia excited

Garibaldi nodded nonchalantly "He's a ViCaR. It's a slang term from old Earth tech, a VCR. They're cyber-organic, living recorders. Part machine, part sentient" he explained "Several of the alien races use them, they can record just about anything. Sight, signs, biorhythms, thought pattern, you name it…" he paused for a moment "I'd say you were set up"

"But why?" I asked more concerned than before. What had Kosh wanted him to record? Why with Talia?

"The vorlons are leery of telepaths" said John as an afterthought "If Kosh knows what you fear the most, he can use it against you in the future"

Talia looked up and our gazes met, we both were certainly concerned about that last statement. I nodded and decided take Talia to my quarters, in order for us to have that long awaited chat.

"What is it Susan?" she asked me as soon as the door closed behind us. "I don't want you to get angry, but I can't help but feel you're not only upset but fidgety, and that troubles me"

I sighed and looked into her eyes, knowing she was being honest; I was projecting those emotions out. "What exactly did Kosh do to you?" I asked frowning

"I don't know." She said confused "He just stood there talking in riddles with Abbut"

"Did he tell you something specific or gave you something or touched you in any way?" I asked starting to pace

"I bumped into him a few days ago. And then after the first day of negations with Abbut when I asked him about the nonsense riddles going on between them he said that I should listen to the music instead of the song" she said frowning, her voice growing frustrated by the second "And when I did that today, when I tried to understand that, it was when I felt excruciating pain in my mind, which is when all those thoughts rushed in…" she stopped for a moment and looked at me, then she walked and stopped in front of me making me stop pacing "Are you growling?" she asked amused then. I noticed that she was right, I was growling

"I can't help it" I told her still growling

"Why?" she asked still amused

"Kosh did something to you and in the process he hurt you!" I snarled

"But I'm fine, right?" She asked cupping my face, forcing me to stare into her eyes. I couldn't help the whimper that escaped my lips then. She chuckled slightly and then pressed a soft kiss into my lips. "I'm alright" she assured me, our eyes still locked on each others.

I sighed. "Haven't you noticed?" I asked her confused

"What?" she asked as confused as I felt.

"Talia" I started "Ms Winters, Tee, seems to have merged with you, as you did when I was with you in your quarters…"

Her eyes opened wide as saucers, then she frowned and a wide variety of emotions crossed through her face, before settling in disbelief.

"How did he know?" she asked upset, disbelief still on her features and emotions. "He said it was a gift" she added looking up at me

"A gift?" I asked not understanding, but taking her hands into mine

"Unity" she added then smiling. She slowly leaned into me while dropping all her mind walls, silently inviting me to peek into her mind. As she kissed me I knew it would be easier and faster to take a look into her offered memories than waiting for her to elaborate, but I refused to do so. I kissed her back, but did not go into her mind.

"Why?" she asked confused when we parted, still within arm's length

"I'm honored that you trust me that much Talia" I whispered "But you have to understand I have been fighting against this all my life, if I go into your mind, I will be no better than them"

"You are way too stubborn for your own good" she said sighing

We sat on the living area in my quarters and she then proceeded to tell me in detail what had happened these last few days during her dealings with Kosh. At times I couldn't help but growl again, but every single time I did that, she would just lean in and peck me softly while chuckling.

"What's on your mind?" she asked me gently after a few minutes of silence

"I know he merged the two of you, your scent lets me know that" I said after a moment "But, did he united also your abilities? Or did he take them away?" I looked at her confused face "If he took your abilities from you, then Bester will be able to get into your mind and that is not something to take lightly" Talia seemed to ponder this for a moment too before she stood and placed an old penny on the small side table. She took a deep breath and when she released it the penny flew towards the farthest wall and impaled in it. I was surprised by that, Talia had mentioned that with Tee she had gained telekinetic abilities, but that she was just getting the hang of it and could barely manage to move small objects a few inches away at a time. I looked at Talia's features and noticed her frowning. "What is it?" I asked concerned. She looked at me for a moment before fixing her gaze on the book I had been neglecting for weeks. It flew up to her hands.

"I think he made me stronger" she said still frowning "I need to know why"

* * *

**A/N**_: Things are getting better for them as a couple, but remember that there's a lot going on in the universe, and most of it affects them either directly or indirectly._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 15 (41)**_

_**Healer**_

We spent the next couple of hours just cuddling into each other on the couch, talking about our lives, our pasts and what we wanted to do. We agreed to leave Kosh for the time being, especially after I told her what had happened with Deathwalker. I paused then, I needed her to know about John, and the past he and I shared together.

"I think it is time for me to retire to my quarters" she said hesitant upon realizing it was getting late

"There are a few more things I need you to know about" I said tightening my grip around her "But if you're tired, we can talk more about everything tomorrow" I offered

She sighed cuddling closer into me "Just so you know, I really do not want to leave" I faltered at her words "It's okay. I know you don't want to rush things, more than we already did anyway" she teased while standing "I'll see you tomorrow" she added walking to the door

"Talia" I rushed to her when I noticed she was about to walk out "Would you do me the honor of joining me for breakfast tomorrow morning?"

"What time?" She asked eager and I smiled relieved at her

"I'll pick you up at 700"

"It's a date Commander" she smirked before leaving.

Over the next weeks we met on a daily basis for breakfast and every other night for dinner. And as usual, whenever something prevented me from getting lunch during my 'lunch break' through the day, Talia would always come find me to make sure, as she had said, that I was properly fed.

I told her about John during our second official week dating. She was considerably upset when she learned about the Hunters and that I was at some point in my past going to marry to one of them, but she calmed down when I reminded her that even if I had married back then, I would have realized that she was my mate, and although I'd fight against her as I did, or even more so, she would have eventually had me.

During our second month together, Talia finally asked me to talk to John about Tee and then he told her he wanted Talia to aid us, she said that she would do anything to help Earth and that she trusted me implicitly, and even when she also had trusting issues with people around her, she trusted that my instincts were right, so she was willing to trust John's cause.

After the short meeting we had with him, John asked me to stay just for a few minutes. Talia noticed I hesitated but stated it was quite alright, it was still early and she could walk by herself back to her quarters. Actually, we had already had what would be considered an argument, regarding the fact that it was hard for her to take things slow if I was constantly hovering around her and almost stalking like Garibaldi had tried once. I had apologized about that because I did not want to rush things physically with her again, but being honest, it was getting hard to resist the urges of my wolf, not that I told her that by that moment mind you, but still; usually, after dropping her by her quarters, I went to Grey Sector and sparred with anyone in the pack willing to do so, as of late, the only brave ones were Maher and Ha'Rok, and sometimes Louba.

"What is it Captain?" I asked through gritted teeth, knowing since the moment he called me Commander that it was official business.

"The Lumati delegation will be arriving to B5 within the next few days. It will either be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow" he said seriously

"I'll make sure we have everything ready for their visit sir" I offered, wondering why it had been important for him to repeat himself. We had already had a full staff meeting regarding this coming visit. We needed them to sign a treaty with Earth and if possible with the Alliance.

John looked up somberly for a moment, I suppose, to gather his thoughts "Whatever you have to do" he said firmly "Just get them to sign on" I nodded, knowing it was important for John because he had been the First Contact the Lumati had had with Humans. "Dismissed"

"It's hard to believe how much we've changed" said Talia smirking over her juice glass during breakfast the next morning

"I'm still me you know" I said in mock offense

"What I mean is I can't believe it's taken us this long to get to this point" she said looking at me over the glass "Ten months since I kissed you for the first time" she added after a moment and realization hit me then

"Well, you didn't exactly make it easy" I said smirking now too.

"Me? How about you?" she asked chuckling

"I'll have you know that I've been nothing but compassionate and understanding" I said playfully

"Aren't you confusing the roles in our relationship?" she asked then

"Maybe" I conceded after pondering about it for a moment, she was right though, it was her who had been compassionate and understanding all these months

"I guess we both had to agree with each other that we were wrong on some aspects and the other way around too" She continued

"Aha, so you admit you were wrong and I was right. See? If you'd done that before, we'd been fine earlier"

"You are the most stubborn my love" she said chuckling. I was about to retort but my link chirped then. I sighed.

"Ivanova here" I answered the link smiling at Talia

"Commander, the Lumati representative has just come through the Jump Gate" stated Lt JG Corwin.

"On my way" I said before ending the link "I'm sorry" I told Talia while standing to leave

"That's alright; I was finished anyway." she said standing too "And I have to go find a place to stay tonight, so I better get to it" She said leaning in and softly pecking my lips

"What's wrong with your quarters?" I asked confused

"There's some kind of problem with the air recycling system" she explained as we walked away from the cafeteria "I called around this morning before heading for breakfast, but practically everything in the station is booked out" she said sighing "I can try Brown Sector but-"

"NO!" I rudely interrupted her, causing her to smirk "Not a good idea, you know it's dangerous" I said trying to amend it, then an idea hit me "Look, if you want, why don't you just come to my quarters" I offered somewhat nervous about how she would react to it.

"Oh, I couldn't" she said looking down

"Hey, I'd like the company" I said lifting her chin in order to let her see the truth in my eyes

"Are you sure?" she asked not convinced "What about-"

"What did I just say?" I countered smirking while placing my index on her lips

She smiled and nodded "Alright, alright. Thanks"

"I'll see you tonight then" I added as I boarded the turbolift headed to Customs. I arrived there just as the Lumati representatives entered the area. There were two of them, one at least two heads taller than the other. The short one being actually shorter than myself "Welcome to Earth Alliance station Babylon 5. I'm Commander Susan Ivanova"

"I'm Correlilmurzon of the Lumati" Introduced himself the shortest one.

I bowed at him before turning my attention to the tall one "And you are?"

"I am Correlilmurzon of the Lumati" repeated the shortest one

"Yes, I know, Thank you" I told him politely "I was asking-"

"The Shurtbatot beside me" stated the same one "is my translator" as he said this the tallest one patted it's head, then his companion's head and the one who had been speaking so far, continued "I speak through him"

"Are you incapable of speech?" I asked him confused, earning and eye roll from the tall Lumati

"No, of course not" answered the 'translator' "But it could mean a loss for me to communicate with an inferior being" he added "Before I can speak to you directly, I must determine if your species is worthy" he continued cockily "If so, we may even let others of my species, honor you with their presence"

"Well… isn't that wonderful?" I asked trying to reign in the sarcasm in my tone "Alright, I guess the best way to start with your evaluation would be to take you around" I said a second later "show you the station"

"That would be good, yes" stated the Shurtbatot

"Wonderful, please, right this way" I lead the way through Blue Sector and headed to Medlab. I figured it was as good place as any to start. I explained on the way there that the purpose of that section of the station was to treat injuries and illness, not matter the species. We entered just in time to listen the end of Stephen's speech to his new trainees

"Commander" he acknowledged us as soon as we were there

"I hope we haven't cut off your time" I told him truthfully

"Oh, no no. Just looking at new additions to my staff." he assured me "Welcome to Babylon 5" he then addressed the Lumati

"Thank you" stated shorty

"I should explain" I told Stephen upon seeing the confusion on his face at the lack of response from the other Lumati. "They have some kind of-"

"Intracultural symbiosis" interrupted me Dimitri while approaching us

"Yes, I've heard of this sort of things" stated Stephen "This is my first real encounter with it though…"

"Did you say this facility was equipped to treat members of other species?" interrupted Shorty while Mute one paced around

"Yes, yes. That's correct" said Stephen. Dimitri still gaping at the Lumati, which was somewhat amusing.

"I don't understand" said Shorty "Why go through all of this to save the life of potentially inferior species. Evolution is driven by blood" he said nonchalantly "The weak die, the strong survive. The preserving of sick and wounded of other races will pollute the genetic pool. It does not serve evolution"

"Well, our job is not preserving evolution" said Dimitri "It's preserving life"

"Yes, but what happens when inferior saved in the process of natural selection, begin to outnumber the superior?" asked Shorty

"Then they are not superior at all" stated Dimitri

"I think we should be moving on" I intervened as Mute returned to Shorty's side

"I don't believe that any form of sentient life is inferior to any other" stressed Stephen, clearly not only for the sake of the Lumati, but for Dimitri's comment as well.

"Yes, we often hear that argument from inferior beings and their sympathizers and-" started Shurtbatot but he was interrupted by Stephen

"Just one second. You're saying that if you saw a child of one of these inferior species bleeding to death and all you had to do was move ONE finger to save his life. You wouldn't?" asked Stephen heatedly

"We would neither help nor harm" said calmly Shurtbatot "It's not our place to interfere. That is to allow evolution run its course" he continued "It's for their own good" He then looked at the fuming face of Stephen, the appalled faced of Dimitri and I believe the confused one on my own "Well, thank you for the stimulating conversation Doctor. You have strange notions but I'm sure they will pass with time" Mute Lumati then turned to leave followed a beat later by Shurtbatot. I mouthed a whole heartedly 'I'm sorry' to Stephen and looked sternly at Dimitri for a moment before heading after the Lumati

I spent the rest of the day walking the Lumati around the station. The rest of Blue Sector, Green Sector, I even took them to Zocalo, but every turn we made, they found some way to stress out the fact that we were 'inferior' beings. I was a second away from jumping them and tear them to pieces just to show them inferiority, when they decided to call it a day. We then agreed to meet next morning at Zocalo in order to continue the tour around the station.

I skipped dinner that night in favor of letting Talia enjoy a full running shower. I started to pace around my quarters while Talia showered. I was agitated and wanted to let out some tension, but I knew I couldn't leave Talia like that, without letting her know, so instead of going for a run or to spar for a while, I ended up changing into my blue silk night gown. I decided to settle on making us tea, but couldn't seem to find the mugs I was looking for, which made me slam the cabinet doors in the kitchenette one after another. That's how Talia found me when she came out from the shower.

"That's one cabinet that will never threaten us again" she said from the threshold to my bedroom, dressed on her own nightgown and drying her hair with a towel.

"I'm sorry. I just…" I sighed looking up at her, finally having found the mugs for our tea. "It's just been one of those days…You liked the shower?" I asked her

"It was glorious" she said half moaning "I hadn't had a real hot water shower in ages"

"Want some tea?" I asked then pouring myself a cup before pouring one for her

"Love some" she said taking the mugs from my hands and walking to my bedchamber. "Want to talk about what has you beating the hell out of a cabinet?" she asked concerned when we both sat on the bed

I told her about the Lumati and how frustrated I felt by their attitude. To my utter surprise she chuckled at me.

"Who would have guessed that the stoic Commander Susan Ivanova was so cute" she said cupping my face before gently pressing her lips onto mine "I could speak to them, let them know how amazing and superior you really are" she said nuzzling my neck

"Now you're just making fun of me" I grunted

"Come on, let's get some sleep." She said leaning us both back to completely lie on the bed as soon as we finished our tea "I promise to control myself" she said smirking when I looked into her eyes

I ordered the computer to turn off the lights and after consulting with my mate what time did she have to leave in the morning, I set up the alarm.

* * *

**A/N**_: Keep them coming, you can't fool me, you've read it, now comment on it. Let me know if I should simply stop or keep going. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 16 (42)**_

_**Healer**_

Cuddling into Susan was, and still is, the second best thing in the whole universe. The last few days had been horrible and stressful, and from what Susan told me, not only for me. Susan made me promise not to go after Kosh demanding answers to what he did to me, but upon agreeing to that she sighed relieved and I knew I wouldn't want to add more pressure to her already burdened shoulders; so instead of planning on confronting Kosh, we ended up speaking about our lives before meeting each other. I was marveled once again by the pride that shone on her eyes when speaking about her brother.

"I think it is time for me to retire to my quarters" I told her when I saw what time it was after she made a long pause in her speech.

"There are a few more things I need you to know about" she said holding me tighter, which of course made me smile broader. "But if you're tired, we can talk more about everything tomorrow"

"Just so you know, I really do not want to leave" I told her snuggling into her as close as it was physically possible "It's okay. I know you don't want to rush things, more than we already did anyway" I added when I felt her stiffen. "I'll see you tomorrow" I added before rising and heading out.

"Talia. Would you do me the honor of joining me for breakfast tomorrow morning?" She asked as she reached for me

"What time?"

"I'll pick you up at 700"

"It's a date Commander" I told her smirking.

The following weeks were the happier in my life. Granted, we argued once in a while, but most of the time it was easy bantering between us, and the few times it was troubling and got uglier, we ended up making up quite soon. Maher explained me that it was mostly because now that Susan had given into her wolf, she had to ensure that her mate was happy and safe.

"But I don't want her to care for me just because of that" I told him seriously.

"Blondie, she loves you, and she would have fallen for you with or without the wolf" he said softly "Look, you may not realize it but I truly believe you already know this" he added "Our wolves are committed and devoted to our mates," He said glancing up and looking fondly at Neeoma, whose shift had just ended "but that does not mean that we are with them because of that." He added returning his gaze to me "There are only two ways for our kind to mate to someone" he then looked around as if to make sure no one was overhearing, though I guess he was just checking how long did he have before Neeoma reached us "By gradually falling in love, or by what is commonly known as Love at First sight, and neither works if it's unrequited love."

"So she wants to be with me as much as I want to be with her?" I asked him grinning widely

"The only difference is that she also has the drive to keep you safe, not that you don't have it in you blondie, I've seen you trying to make sure she is eating properly for months now" he added jokingly at the same moment Neeoma pecked his cheek when she did reach our side "But truth is, if anything happens to you, she will tear apart the one that dares to even scratch you" he said before the two of them left hand in hand. A few minutes later Susan arrived for our dinner date.

She then told me, over drinks in her quarters, that she knew Captain Sheridan on a personal level before coming to B5. I was somewhat surprised, I knew she had served under him in IO, but didn't know they were close back then. Though thinking about it, I remembered seeing a little bit of her relationship with him while on her mind when we made love for the first time.

"We had common acquaintances" she explained. I frowned at her vague explanation and she sighed "You already know about the Hunters" she probed. I nodded

"Is Captain Sheridan-?" I started to ask when she didn't elaborate, but I couldn't bring myself to voice that question. If he was, then Susan and her whole pack were in danger and it did not make sense that she would do nothing about it.

"No" she finally said "but he does know about the pack and my 'condition', as he calls it" she paused, this time I knew it was to gather her thoughts, so I waited for her to be ready. "When I served under his command for the first time, I met his sister, you met her too here a few months ago" I only nodded not wanting to interrupt her "Lizzy and I became friends and in time John and I became friends too. He and Lizzy are as close as Ganya and I used to be" she said fondly "Then one day, they introduced me to a friend of theirs and somehow we made friends too. After a few months we were dating and even when we didn't often see each other due to our different posts in different stations and mission, we ended up engaged" I know it was ridiculous to get upset about that, because it was evident that she was no longer with that person, and I myself had an ex-husband that even when she knew about his existence through my memories, she knew not about the intricate fall out between us yet; but still, I got mad at the mere thought of her with someone other than me "A few days before the wedding, an Omega showed up in IO. He wounded John so badly that he was dying, I ended up fighting against the Omega and was losing against him" she sighed frowning, clearly displeased with what had happened. "I hadn't had shifted in years, not even once since I was banned when I joined Earthforce, which meant I was rusty and weak in my wolf form. I had to shift back because of my injuries, but that happened at the same moment that my ex-fianceé came rushing towards us. She was shocked when she realized what I was, and reluctantly revealed to us that she was a Hunter, from the Argent bloodline, less than a minute after that, a group of Hunters got the Omega that had attacked John and myself"

I was seething when she told me that. "Why would you marry one them?" She had previously told me about the Argent and that they had been the Hunter family that had been after her kind, the longest and that they were the deadliest of all the Hunters.

"That was the reason we called off the wedding, we knew we couldn't be together, we would endanger each other" She said nonchalantly "we did love each other" she added

"So you would have married a Hunter if Captain Sheridan had not been injured!?" I deadpanned

"Talia, calm down" she said soothingly "I'll let you on a secret" she added after a beat "Even if I'd married then, I'm certain we, you and me, would somehow have bumped into each other and you would have made it for me as difficult as you did it, to resist you" She said smiling softly "Eventually I would have fallen in love with you either way" she added before kissing me softly

"So what happened then?" I asked sitting at her side on the couch and snuggling into her

She sighed again, there had been too many of those in the last couple of hours than I had ever heard from her "She saved John and myself. She cared about him, so she begged me to save him as soon as Caleb, the Omega, was taken away by his family"

"Is Captain Sheridan the one man you offered the bite?" I asked her softly. She nodded. "How did he survive?" I asked curious, she had said once that the one she offered the bite had refused it.

"Improvised blood transfusion, just until the med teams arrived to our position" She said simply "As a result he has heightened senses now. Which also means that like everyone else in the pack, he knows about your shifting scent"

"Do they all know about Tee?" I asked frowning

"No, I told no one, they only know that your scent has been shifting for months but are unaware of the reason. I would recommend we tell John about it though"

"Why?"

"If Psi Corps separated you and they somehow learn either of you being aware of that, or the fact that you are now one again, they will most likely want you as a guinea pig" she said growling

"And telling Captain Sheridan will accomplish what exactly?" I asked her not understanding her reasoning.

"If Psi Corps wants you, they will have to go through protocol first. And John can run interference or create diversions if necessary"

There was flaw in her logic, but I agreed that in the end it would be helpful to have someone with political power on our side. Which is the reason that after mulling it over for about a week, I asked a meeting with him.

After he learned about Tee and the fact that we had merged again, he fidgeted for a while before making the decision to tell me about something. He informed me that he was part of a movement that was certain that President Clark and Psi Corps were behind the dead of President Santiago; and that him and several others were on the mission to collect enough evidence against Clark. It took me a lot of pondering on that too, but I agreed to help him in any way he deemed necessary.

"I do not trust you, but Susan does, so for now, that is enough for me" I told him before leaving. Susan had to stay behind because the Captain asked her to do so. It was perfect that she had to stay, the previous week we had had one of the serious arguments against each other because I felt not trapped, but certainly overprotected over nothing and the fact that Susan was constantly there and not letting me even hold her or kiss her was getting on my nerves. Luckily we had reached an agreement that allowed us to kiss and cuddle and even hold hands, as long as she was not on duty.

When I woke up the next morning to get ready for my breakfast date with Susan, I received a notification stating that my air recycling system was malfunctioning and that due to maintenance I had to stay somewhere else at least for a day until reparations were completed. I started calling around to the local rentals but everything was already booked for at least a week, so I headed toward Zocalo to Susan with the mission to find after breakfast was over, a place to stay the night, luckily I had that day off, no urgent reports to deliver and not a single appointment other than meeting up with Susan.

"It's hard to believe how much we've changed" I told her over breakfast, amazed by the fact that we indeed had changed a lot in the last months. I mean, I always knew she was strong and loyal, but this side of Susan, the caring and loving and trusting one, is amazing.

"I'm still me you know" she said feigning being offended

"What I mean is I can't believe it's taken us this long to get to this point" I explained her "Eighteen months since I kissed you for the first time" I informed her after a moment

"Well, you didn't exactly make it easy" she countered, smirking now.

"Me? How about you?" I chuckled

"I'll have you know that I've been nothing but compassionate and understanding"

"Aren't you confusing the roles in our relationship?" I pointed out

"Maybe"

"I guess we both had to agree with each other that we were wrong on some aspects and the other way around too" I tried

"Aha, so you admit you were wrong and I was right. See? If you'd done that before, we'd been fine earlier"

"You are the most stubborn my love" I continued chuckling at Susan's contorted face trying to contain her own smirk, though our banter got interrupted by her chirping link.

"Ivanova here" she answered offering me an apologetic smile

"Commander, the Lumati representative has just come through the Jump Gate" was heard over the link.

"On my way" She stated "I'm sorry" She told me while standing

"That's alright; I was finished anyway. And I have to go find a place to stay tonight, so I better get to it" I told her standing and leaning in for a short kiss

"What's wrong with your quarters?" she demanded concerned

"There's some kind of problem with the air recycling system" I explained "I called around this morning before heading for breakfast, but practically everything in the station is booked out" I sighed "I can try Brown Sector but-"

"NO!" she cut me short "Not a good idea, you know it's dangerous" she composed herself "Look, if you want, why don't you just come into my quarters" she offered fidgeting.

"Oh, I couldn't" I said looking down hiding my smirk

"Hey, I'd like the company" she stated firmly, lifting my chin letting our eyes meet

"Are you sure?" I asked to confirm, I didn't want her to pull away again because of the taking slow our physical relationship part, so I started to voice that out "What about-"

"What did I just say?" she stated smirking interrupting me once again

"Alright, alright. Thanks" I agreed smiling

"I'll see you tonight then" she added and left to her duties.

I went back to my quarters to pack clothes and a few items for a couple of days, just in case the reparations were not completed by the next day, and even when it took me about an hour to get the proper clearance to enter to my own quarters I managed to compete the task of packing in less than the 10 minute limit I was granted. I spent the rest of the day hanging with Maher at the Casino, and actually had lunch with Susan's aunt, Magda along with Yuri, the little boy who had helped Susan and I that fateful first date of ours.

"Thank you" said Magda when she sent the boy for his evening lessons.

"What for?" I asked curious, having felt the truthfulness in her voice but completely oblivious to the reason behind them.

"For not giving up on her and making her happy" she said now clearly talking about Susan

"She makes me happy too, even with her stubbornness" I said smiling fondly

"Oh yes, stubbornness is the trademark in the Ivanov family, has been for generations" she added grinning as she stood and left

The rest of the evening I spent catching up some reading, waiting for Susan to return to her quarters. I contacted her through the babcom system once to ask for her to grant me access there, she surprised me by providing me her access codes instead of just showing up and letting me in.

When she finally arrived, she looked so tired that I offered to stay in, instead of going out for dinner. She gave me a thankful smile and suggested me to take advantage of the shower, which I gladly did. A few minutes later, when I went out, I found her slamming cabinet doors; it would have been amusing if not for the fact that I could feel her anger seeping out from her.

"That's one cabinet that will never threaten us again" I told her leaning on the doorframe to her bedroom, trying to lighten up the mood at least a little.

"I'm sorry. I just…" She said looking up, with two mugs in her hands "It's just been one of those days…You liked the shower?"

"It was glorious" I told her truthfully "I hadn't had a real hot water shower in ages"

"Want some tea?" she offered already pouring us both some

"Love some" I told her taking the mugs with me heading to her bed chamber "Want to talk about what has you beating the hell out of a cabinet?" I asked her as soon as we sat

She started by telling me about the Lumati representative and the curious symbiosis he had with what was referred as a Shortubut, she then told me how "Mute and Shorty" interacted and everything that Shorty had said on behalf of Mute. She was clearly upset by every critic she received by them, luckily she knew the critics were not for herself, but for all human kind and the way things were dealt with on B5. I couldn't help but chuckle by the end of her story, I knew she had had a stressful day, and I was not helping ease her, but she really looked so cute, which of course I immediately told her.

"Who would have guessed that the stoic Commander Susan Ivanova was so cute" I half asked before leaning in for a gentle kiss. "I could speak to them, let them know how amazing and superior you really are" I said hugging her with one arm and nuzzling into her neck

"Now you're just making fun of me"

"Come on, let's get some sleep." I finally told her, forcing her to finish her tea and then laid us both on her bed. "I promise to control myself" I told her looking into her eyes, having felt her slightly stiffen by the action.

I slept amazingly content that night, I knew it would take a while for Susan to adapt to this, but I was sure I wanted to go to bed every night in the safety and warmth of her embrace.

Next day was better, in part. I checked with maintenance first thing in the morning and they said it would take another day to complete the repairs to the air recycling system in my quarters, Susan stated it was okay for me to stay another night in hers. The Lumati decided to pay Susan a visit that morning and even when they were slightly taken aback by my presence in Susan's quarters, they ended up practically dragging her off to Down Below to continue the Tour of the Station. What concerned me the most was that the Tall one, Mute as Susan had decided to refer about him, probed into my mind, I could feel he was strong but decided not to intrude on my thoughts when he realized I was a telepath.

Things apparently went well for Susan, somehow after interacting with Lurkers in Down Below, the Lumati decided that it was smart to keep some people there, alienate them, and that's what talked them into agreeing to sign a treaty with Earth. However, their customs for closing deals did not go fine with me and I got mad at Susan when she said she would do it, though I'm not sure who I blamed the most, her for agreeing or Drs Dimitri and Franklin for encouraging her.

"This couldn't possibly get any worse!" she deadpanned after explaining how she had barely made it out of the Council Chambers. "Do what you have to, he says. But nobody told me this involved having sex with an alien" By that time I was barely containing my rage

"Well, he didn't know" said Dr Franklin defending Captain Sheridan

"None of us did" I said through gritted teeth, taking hold of Susan's hand in my own.

"We barely met the species before" added Dr Dimitri earning a glare from Susan and myself "I mean who knew that they treat sex the way we treat handshake?" he asked hiding a smirk, which annoyed me even more. I really wished in that moment, that I was a wolf like Susan, I wanted to tear apart the Lumati that made a move on my woman

"Maybe you should talk to the Captain" I offered

"I can't do that" She said immediately "I left him a note just before the meeting, telling him that everything was taken care of. I can't go back now and tell him that's all falling apart"

"You can't be seriously thinking about doing it!" I accused

"Of course not!" she retorted "But I can't let them walk away"

"Well, you could put a bag over his face and do it for Babylon 5" said Dr Franklin chuckling. The death glare that I sent him along with the one from Susan, made him recoil in his seat "Maybe not"

"I'm doomed" said Susan defeated

"Why don't you just explain them that our customs are not like that and that you're already spoken for?" offered Dr Dimitri

"Yeah, tell them you are in a committed relationship" I told her gripping her hand to gain her attention "They did see me there this morning"

"I could inject you with something, make you sick" annoyingly interrupted Dr Franklin "After all, he doesn't know anything about anyone's biology but his own"

"He could fall for that" added Dr Dimitri

"That's it!" snapped Susan

"I'll get it-" started Dr Franklin turning to leave

"No. I've decided I'm gonna give him exactly what he wants" said Susan standing "I'll catch you later. I'll send you a message when it's safe for you to return there" she added looking at me before turning to leave

"Susan!" I called after her, but she was already halfway gone by the time I processed what she had said. She was going to have sex with that alien, and it broke my heart.

* * *

**A/N**_: You know what you have to do. Leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 17 (43)**_

_**Healer**_

Next morning is still a little overwhelming to recall. I woke up with Talia wrapped inside my arms and it was perfect, we both were peaceful and just radiating our feelings towards each other. I didn't want to leave the comfort of my mate, however I knew better than to stay there because of my duties, so with that in mind I rose and got ready for the day, though nothing could have prepared me for the day I spent with the Lumati representative.

Talia woke a few minutes after I was almost fully dressed in my uniform, my jacket being what was missing; we chatted amiably while she got dressed and I started the coffee. We called maintenance to check up on her quarters update, however they said it would still be at least another night before repairs were completed.

"I wouldn't mind you staying here if you need too" I said nonchalantly taking a sip of my coffee, actually wishing for her to say she would spend the night again.

"You sure?" she asked concerned "I really don't want to impose, or put pressure on…" I silenced her with a peck on her lips.

"I'm sure" I told her smiling.

I was halfway through my morning cup when she headed to the washroom before we left. I had agreed to meet the Lumati at Zocalo and Talia was going to head there herself too. Before Talia came out from the restroom, my doorbell chirped, letting me know someone was out there, which obviously took me by surprise.

"Yes, come in!" I said out loud. I couldn't help but gasp when the door opened and in came Mute and Shorty!

"Good morning commander" said Shorty

"Good morning" I managed to reply, gathering my thoughts that moment "I thought we agreed I'd meet you at Zocalo" I half asked them

"It occurred to me that you're probably showing me only the good things about this place in an attempt to impress us" started Shorty while Mute wandered around my quarters, stopping at the vase with the flowers Talia had brought the day before "all perfectly understandable given the temptation of our company" Shorty added as Mute walked into my bed chambers earning a snort from my part "but it doesn't tell what you're really like"

"Well, there is such thing as privacy" I said as politely as I could given the circumstances "I mean, if you're going to stop by, it would be nice if you asked, or told me when you're coming by" I said addressing Shorty before staring at Mute who was by then fiddling with Talia's nightgown which had been lying atop my bed. "Hey!" I yelled stomping toward him "Like I said! PRIVACY!" I admonished him snatching my mate's clothes. Talia chose that very moment to come out from the washroom and curiously a staring contest began between Mute and her. "It's personal, and it's mine" I said stepping between them, glaring at Mute for his actions. "And you two are going to want to wait outside until I'm ready" I said addressing both Mute and Shorty "And if you're really convinced I'm only showing you the good parts of Babylon 5, well then, go ahead and chose any part of the station at random and I'll take you there!"

"Agreed" said Shorty while Mute still leered at Talia

"Leave" I growled at him, which took him by surprise. After a second of silence and staring, he slightly nodded and they both walked outside

"Calm down" said Talia cupping my face "You need to remain calm if you want to get them to sign" she reminded me

"Whatever it takes, he says" I muttered folding Talia's nightgown "Where's the rest of it?" I asked out loud when I noticed it was not complete. I turned around and could still see Mute standing by the threshold of my quarters "Hey!" I yelled at him, luckily for everyone, he decided to leave the missing garment on the couch near the entrance. I sighed and grabbed my uniform jacket "I'll see you after my shift" I said to Talia before following the Lumati.

Us, walking through Down Below, was not what I expected them to ask, which I let them know.

"When I said you could choose any place you'd like, I though you would pick Command and Control, or the Ambassadors section"

"Which is exactly why we chose this" said Shorty "You're saying this are your own species, yes?" he asked intrigued

"We call them lurkers" I nodded "and yes, humans mostly. They come to Babylon 5 in search of new lives, new opportunities…" I explained "sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, they often don't have enough money for a return ticket so they end up getting small jobs here and there, when those go dry, they end up moving to the undeveloped parts of the station" I said gesturing around "Down Below… Anyway, this is something you shouldn't really be seeing"

"Most impressive" said Shorty

"Excuse me?" I asked taken aback

"We've isolated ourselves from inferior species" he started "but you, you have shown the will and the strength to isolate the genetically inferior part of your species as an evolutionary protection" he explained in their twisted logic

"I don't think you understand" I told them hotly "this was not intentional"

"You're too modest" said Shorty "It's a brilliant move Commander. You see, you isolate the genetic pool, you limit their chances for procreation, and you create a work force without the power to challenge you. This is not something we thought of, but it's something we will institute in our world at the first opportunity…" I tried to protest again, but was prevented from doing so by Mute actually speaking directly to me

"Alliances are often more built in tactical advantages. They are built on similarities of course. And it would appear that we are more similar than I had originally suspected" He continued. "Congratulations Commander. This more than nothing else has convinced me that you are worthy of an alliance. We will go now and discuss the terms of that alliance" he said turning away, being followed by Shorty

"Oh Hell" I muttered a second before following them too. I lead them to John's office and poured some tea for us. I sent John an encoded message informing him of the progress so far and told him that I had accomplished the mission he assigned me. I knew he was currently busy trying to figure out a way to help out the Narns, since someone, most likely the Centauri, kept attacking Narn civilian targets. War was closing up on us in that sector of the Galaxy and we could not openly support neither Narn nor Centauri, it was becoming stressful on the station relations

"Since you decided to sign on with Babylon 5, I'm sure the Captain won't mind we use his office to conclude the deal" I told the Lumati handing Mute a mug "It's tea" I added when I noticed him sniffing the beverage, a second later he handed his mug to Shorty "I checked the bio logs and it's perfectly safe for you to drink" I told Mute slightly offended "So… you say there are only a few details to work out prior to close this deal?" I asked him after an uncomfortable moment of silence

"Yes" said Mute dismissing Shorty with a hand gesture "Tradition is important to my culture" he stated "Our important agreements are symbolically brought in together in perfect union"

"Well, this certainly qualifies" I said taken aback by the feelings he was projecting. Whether it was a conscious act from him or not, I still do not know "The Captain felt very strongly about making this deal happen" I added

"Then we'll both conclude this deal in our traditional matter" he said matter of factly "We will have sex"

"Sex?" I was once again taken aback, and now the feelings I perceived from him made slightly more sense than before

"It is necessary to finalize the agreement" he stated amused while undoing the ties of his robe

"Huh? I certainly appreciate the uh…" I stumbled upon my words when he towered on me, logically I knew I could wipe the floor with him if it got violent, but I could not wolf out on him, so I did the first thing that came to mind, I opened a link on my combadge "I have to get this" I told him gesturing to the link "Ivanova here"

"Commander?" asked Lt JG Corwin

"What? Oh right, the Drazi and the Pak Mara deal" I said referring to something that I had already done "I so totally forgot about it" I added walking backwards toward the door as Mute still followed closely, a curious kind of smirk on his features "I'll be right there" I said as I ended the link to prevent any further comment from Corwin "I'm very sorry but I have to take care of this" I told Mute "Maybe we could just put a pin on this right now and I can get back to you and we can analyze this"

"Of course" said Mute nonchalantly, curious smirk still on his face. I sighed and walked away as fast as possible given the circumstances.

I ended up taking a run through Gray Sector but that did nothing to calm me down. I couldn't just do what he expected from me simply because I was mated and even if I had not been, he was certainly not my cup of tea, so to speak. Yet I could not beat the crap out of him for even proposing that, when in fact it was part of his customs to finalize a deal, and because of my duties to Earth Force I could not let the deal go to waste. So I had to find a way to let him down without outright mocking or offending him. After a few hours I was walking through Zocalo with Talia, Stephen and Dimitri, and even after I explained them the situation, they were not that helpful at all, not at first anyway. Talia was even mad at me.

"This couldn't possibly get any worse!" I told them at the brink of wolfing out again. "Do what you have to, he says. But nobody told me this involved having sex with an alien"

"Well, he didn't know" said Stephen

"None of us did" Said Talia gritting her teeth while taking hold of my hand, in what could only be described as an act of possessiveness, not that I blame her, if the roles were reversed, there is nothing that could have stopped me from tearing apart the Lumati.

"We barely met the species before" added Dimitri earning himself a glare full of promises of pain our next training session. "I mean who knew that they treat sex the way we treat handshake?" he asked.

"Maybe you should talk to the Captain" offered Talia clearly upset and radiating anger not only toward the Lumati and the situation but at me too.

"I can't do that" I told her seriously "I left him a note just before the meeting, telling him that everything was taken care of. I can't go back now and tell him that's all falling apart" I explained her, my honor was at stake here now too.

"You can't be seriously thinking about doing it!" she yelled at me

"Of course not!" I told her barely containing my rage now "But I can't let them walk away" Of course bottom line was if it came to a choice between her and my career in Earth Force, she would blindly win, especially now that the mating was completed. Though I know now that it was a mistake not to tell her this out loud.

"Well, you could put a bag over his face and do it for Babylon 5" said Stephen chuckling. And the glare full of promises of pain was now on him "Maybe not" he added hastily

"I'm doomed" I sighed

"Why don't you just explain them that our customs are not like that and that you're already spoken for?" offered Dimitri

"Yeah, tell them you are in a committed relationship" said Talia gripping my hand "They did see me there this morning"

"I could inject you with something, make you sick" said Stephen preventing me from responding to my mates suggestion "After all, he doesn't know anything about anyone's biology but his own" At his words, a plan began forming on my mind

"He could fall for that" added Dimitri

"That's it!" I said triumphantly. I had now the perfect solution

"I'll get it-" started Stephen turning to leave, but I interrupted him as I rose from my seat

"No. I've decided I'm gonna give him exactly what he wants." I said before turning to Talia "I'll catch you later, stay around, I'll send you a message when it's safe for you to return there"

"Susan!" I heard her call for me, but I was a wolf with a mission.

I arrived to my quarters and started the preparations, I sent a message to Mute through the Babcom system informing him that the matter I had to attend to was already dealt with and it was then convenient for me to meet with him to complete the procedures for our dealings. He promptly agreed to come to my quarters and by the time he arrived I was already dressed in one of my favorite dresses, a black one that I knew Talia liked on me.

"I thought it over and I'm ready now" I told him in a seductive tone of voice "I set aside enough time to have sex as standard by your species" I said nonchalantly as Mute started to undo his robe like he had done at John's office "Since if we were to do it my species style, it'd probably be too much for you" I added noticing then that Shorty was standing by the threshold preventing the door from closing.

"Are you implying that Lumati's sex is inferior?" he asked offended by that

"No, no, not at all" I assured him "I mean, it just wouldn't be fair to ask you to do it… our way on such short notice… the pressure to perform-"

"Enough!" He raised his voice clearly upset now "To conclude our deal we will have sex by your style"

I nodded and approached him seductively rounding him in the process "Are you sure?" I asked whispering in his ear

"Yes!" he said firmly

"Good" I told him knocking him down on the floor by doing a simple flip with our arms, moaning in the process "Yes!" I yelled sitting down on him and flipping us twice on the floor again. Spending just a second or two on my back myself before doing it again. Then, I smelt Talia standing by the door at Shorty's side, that's when I started to sing a ridiculous and improvised song while adding a few moans in between incoherent words and making sure that he was always out of breath by our flips. After a few minutes of discreetly beating him down, I raised and looked pleased down at him, feigning to recover my breath too.

"What do I do now?" he asked standing

"Old style, we wash over and go to bed" I told him after discreetly winking at Talia "New style, you get out of here and I never see you again"

"Perhaps, I'll call you before I go" said Mute while retreating still trying to catch his breath. Shorty then decided to approach me to, I was wondering if I'd have to 'perform' again with him, but he just took my hand in his and placed a soft his on my knuckles. "Tuq!" called out Mute, a second later, Shorty chuckled and headed out too.

I sighed relieved when the door closed after them. Talia staring dumbly at me. "What?" I asked amused "You didn't actually believe I was going to-" I did not get to finish because Talia knocked us both down and placed a fierce kiss on my lips.

'_I love you so much_' she said into my mind while we kissed.

'_I love you too Talia_' I told her too with my mind while smiling into our kiss, opening up for her to see and feel how much I meant that.

* * *

**A/N**_: _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 18 (44)**_

_**Healer**_

After a wonderful and yet sleepless night with my mate, I knew for sure it wouldn't be long before I craved again as I had just done, there was no point denying it, no matter how slow I wanted to take it in order to give us a chance to adapt to our relationship, there was no use since we were more than used to one another and our daily interactions. Next morning, her quarters reparations were over and I escorted her back there, after lingering on her door for a few minutes, neither one of us wanting to part, I asked her to join me for breakfast, as was becoming our habit now. Actually, I thought about just asking her then and there to move in with me, it was the logical thing other than ask her to marry me, but decided against it in favor of planning something more worthy of her and her patience in order to do that.

"Commander" called John as he approached our table when we were about to leave our respective ways because of my duties and her appointments

"Captain" we both greeted him at the same time, sending us into a fit of giggles. Our hands still intertwined all through our morning so far.

"Sorry" I apologized to John when we recovered. "I heard the news about the Centauri Republic"

"It's going to be harder to keep our dealings with the Narn now" he said somberly "We need to have a meeting about everything" he sighed

"I do imagine, with the Centauri emperor visiting B5 tomorrow, it ought to be chaotic with Narns and Centauris on board" I told him

"I was going to ask your guys to keep an eye out, just in case" He said after a moment

"Sure, I'll tell Maher to get on with it" I assured him

"But that's not why I came looking for you" he added smiling "I hear congratulations are in order"

"Whatever for?" I asked him

"The Lumati sent word to Earth confirming their interest to work with us and said very complimentary things about you" he said smiling, making me blush slightly, Talia just fumed "Which reminds me" he added while handing me a small silver box "The Lumati left this for you before they took off"

"Oh, isn't that sweet?" Asked Talia upset while I took the box and peered into it finding a note inside which I passed to Talia while I took out a small and curious mobile like figure

"What does it say?" Asked John curiously when Talia passed the note to me, anger seeping out from her again.

"Next time, my way. Invite your blond telepath" I read out loud getting upset too. "That bastard. He tricked me!" I snarled crumpling the note.

"Commander, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked John confused by my outburst

"He knew! I'm sure he knew" I said gritting my teeth "Of course, there's no way he wouldn't know, everyone on the station knows by now! Hell, probably everyone in the galaxy knows!"

"What does everyone know?" asked John still not grasping the situation

"That I'm with Talia of course!" I answered "That we're a couple!"

"Breathe" said Talia cupping my face "You look about to… you know, change" she added in a soothing tone. "May I?" she asked for permission to get into my mind, I nodded still gripping my fists and trying to calm down.

'_Even if he is serious about the note, we won't have to…_' she said into my mind while projecting all her love and passion she felt for me '_The deal's already done right?_' she added '_Do calm down my love, please?_' she finished placing a soft kiss on my lips while retreating from my mind

"Captain, I have a favor to ask from you" said Talia placing her right arm around my waist, while I still focused on breathing

"Sure" said John confused "Name it"

"If another deal is to be made with the Lumati, do refrain from asking Susan to take care of it"

"Why? What am I missing?"

"Not now John" I told him walking away and toward Gray Sector to lash out to my wolf's content.

I was fuming all day, even after I vented out with Maher and Louba for a while, tension was palpable at CnC because of my foul mood. It was only when Talia approached me a few minutes before my shift ended that I realized I had been biting off heads unnecessarily. On the bright side, we were ready and prepared for any contingency regarding the visit from the Centauri Emperor the next day.

Next morning, Zack Allen intercepted me stating that he had information from Oscar and Nikita.

"There's this guy on board the station right now, one of them" he added "It's his third visit in less than a month, and he's wanting to speak with Garibaldi."

"Does Garibaldi know him from somewhere?" I asked concerned about it all.

"Not that we know off, but I was contacted by Oscar stating that their leader on Mimbar sent this guy to speak with him"

"Has he already contacted Garibaldi?" Zack shook his head "Put a tail on him, and you make sure you follow Garibaldi, be as close as possible when they do sit together. I want to know what exactly is all this about" I told him as I headed to Customs to greet the Centauri Emperor and his court.

As per usual, things did not go smoothly and as planned through the day. I intercepted a message for G'Kar and informed John about its contents. It stated that there had been a full assault on a Narn Colony in quadrant 14, which we knew would blow out proportionally when word got out.

During the formal dinner in honor of the Centauri Emperor, I explained to both John and Stephen about the four telepaths linked to him, and why there were only two present at the moment. It was something that I had read the previous day regarding the preparations on the station for his arrival, but it was also something that stood out, and with my memory, it was not hard to recall it.

Later on I learned from Zack that the mysterious ranger had the mission to contact both Garibaldi and Delenn. And that the leader back on Mimbar was no other than Jeff, being that the reason he had been reassigned as per requested by the Mimbari. Jeff told Garibaldi about the rangers and their mission and asked him to cooperate with them and help them out whenever possible. So it didn't surprise me when Garibaldi arrived with information provided to him by a private source on a mysterious race being behind the attacks to the Narn. I would have to sit and chat with Ha'Rok, Elafe and Maher or Louba about this. Also it worried me that Warren Keffer was still obsessing on finding out the Ghosts of Hyperspace.

"What makes you believe you can trust this source of yours?" I prodded Garibaldi

"Let's just say it comes highly recommended" He answered swiftly, it was hard for me not to grin at that. Of course any one bearing a message from Jeffrey Sinclair would come highly recommended.

"You're hiding something back" stated John, and I was sure he was talking to us both. I nodded slightly without Garibaldi actually noticing

"Yes sir" responded Garibaldi at the same time

"Why?" asked John unimpressed

"I gave my word" simply stated our Security Chief

"You're asking me to trust sensitive information without any idea of where it comes from" deadpanned John "I could order you to tell me"

"If I told you, you'd never be able to trust me with anything confidential as someone above you could order me to talk" stated nonchalantly Garibaldi

"Alright, go on" said John sighing

"Ever since New Year, we've been hearing about some rumors of a new race on the rim" Informed Garibaldi

"And roaming around hyperspace" I added nodding "the Ghosts Keffer is trying to hunt"

"Exactly. My source tells me the rumors are truth and they may be linked to the Centauri government, but who or what that link is, I'm not sure, but they're definitely getting support"

"And you think this other race was behind the assault in quadrant 14?" I asked him

"It's possible" he said shrugging

"If it's true, how that information get out?" asked John

"What information?" I asked myself "What we have here is merely supposition"

"Susan, you do know Sheridan's rule 29" said John grimly. I sighed nodding

"What's that rule?" asked Garibaldi

"Always make your opponent believe you know more than you really do" Explained John. I did not always agree with that rule of his "Now if your source is right, we may be able to play a bluff"

After an hour or so discussing the details of our course of action, Garibaldi left for his duties, as I was about too but got stopped by John.

"Okay Susan, time to cut the crap. Should we trust him?"

I sighed again "I do know he's a dedicated officer and a fine man"

"So, do we continue with what we planned today?"

"I believe you can trust his source and the information he provided." I told him seriously

"Do you know this source?" he asked away

I shook my head "I know of him. He's been on the station several times and comes from Mimbar"

"I'll speak to Delenn then" he added

"Don't do that yet" I told him after pondering it for a moment "I'll have to lend you some reading material before we can talk about this ourselves, much less bring on Delenn into all this" I told him as I left his office

As expected, a full out war was declared between the Narn and the Centauri. What took us all by surprise was the death of the Centauri Emperor right after he ordered a full out attack on the Narn. We all had a disagreement with Londo, regarding the attack and the treatment of survivors so we offered to remain impartial as we were so far, as long as the Centauri allowed observers from Earth to be sent to the Narn colony to oversee the treatment of the survivors and investigate how the attack was succesfull so fast; Molari agreed then that the survivors could return to their Homeworld in exchange of us not sending observers there.

Ha'Rok was beyond pissed when he learned about it and the fact that I did not informed him immediately. I reminded him that I still had duties to comply with regarding Earthforce. However, I agreed to let him go back to Narn and help the survivors on the condition of him not trying to turn anyone and not letting anyone know about his condition. In order for him to actually stick to plan because of the emotions he would surely experiment upon arriving back home, Louba offered herself as his companion during this endeavour of his. I was sad to see them both leave B5 for the time being, but I understood Ha'Rok's need to help any way possible. I talked to John and Stephen about sending my guys back on the next programmed shipment to Narn, the one that would bring back refugees as they had planned. Before he left, I asked Ha'Rok permission to lend G'Quan's book to Talia and John in order for them to be better prepared for what was to come.

"I have no way of denying you anything" stated Ha'Rok "You not only saved my life, you have also been understanding, you are a great leader and I'm honored to be part of you pack" he added "If you say it is for the survival of the pack and others, I do not mind sharing my possessions"

"Thank you Ha'Rok" I told him truthfully "I'm honored to be called your Alpha"

"Hey, watch each other's backs" stated Maher as a farewell

"We will" stated Louba smirking

* * *

**A/N**_: _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 19 (45)**_

_**Healer**_

I was thrilled by the fact that Susan and I were improving and fast approaching the point where we would have to move in together. We practically did live together anyway by then, especially after the Lumati left. We had breakfast always together, sometimes we would meet for lunch, usually when she skipped that meal so I certainly had to make sure she was fed, and we met for dinner every other night, which then led to us spending those nights together, mostly at her quarters and seldom on mine.

However, the conflicts between the Narn and the Centauri kept escalating day by day, especially after the war was just declared right after the Centauri Emperor passed away while on board of Babylon 5. Things were getting messier on the station and Mr Garibaldi was either not noticing all that, or he simply did not care, whatever his reasons for not doing anything about it, it was only stressing Susan who had now recruited not only help from the pack to keep an eye out, but also from the Drazi. The Drazi were not to intervene at all unless directly confronted by either Narn or Centauri, and they were to report any conflict to Maher, AJ who had assumed Louba's place as Purple Drazi trainer/manager for the time being, or to Susan herself. Weekly reports were to be given to Susan before the 'weekly games of doom' as Susan called them, when she had to keep up with the Drazi matches.

All of that, along with the Ranger situation and her findings on the ghosts living in Hyperspace, were taking a toll on her. I was glad when she confided in me by lending me a copy of the book of G'Quan, which I read as fast as I could considering I did not speak Narn. The information regarding this ancient creature, was certainly something to be worried about and Susan was doubting when and if she could tell Captain Sheridan about it, mainly because the Rangers were not being open about their alliances and neither Delenn nor Garibaldi had said or done anything implying their interactions with the Rangers that passed through B5's space.

"You wanted to see me Captain?" I greeted him as I entered his office a morning he had summoned me. It troubled me that Mr Garibaldi was there too.

"Oh yes Ms Winters" stated Captain Sheridan rising from his seat and rounding his desk

"Is Susan alright?" I asked concerned, she had left earlier than I in the morning, so we had forgone our breakfast together this morning and I had not heard from her since.

"Only a few bumps along the road so far" he said clearly amused "But then again, the day is young and Susan's already overwhelmed today"

"Oh. Is there anything I can do to help her?" I asked after a brief moment, not knowing if he was serious about her being already overwhelmed or just teasing me about it

"She is on a special assignment today. I'm afraid" he said smiling softly "But, I could use your help" he added

"So, how can I be of service?" I asked him still eying wearily around, concerned by Mr Garibaldi's silence

"There's rumors running through the Psi Corps net" he stated flatly "I was hoping you could confirm or deny…" he faltered a moment, realizing just then that Mr Garibaldi was still there "Garibaldi, we'll discuss this Stonner fellow later, alright?" Garibaldi nodded and none of them noticed me paling at the mention of that last name

"Stonner? Matt Stonner?" I asked worried and looked at them for confirmation

"Yeah, yeah. That was his name. Mathew" Said Garibaldi nonchalantly

"He's not here on Babylon 5" I asked, fearing the actual answer. Why else would they have known that name?

"Is that a problem?" asked Captain Sheridan seeing I was getting more upset by the second

"You know him?" Asked Garibaldi before I could answer to Sheridan's question

"Only in the most unpleasant way" I managed to say between long breaths. "I was married to him and Susan will not like it that he's here" I said as I turned to leave. Whatever Sheridan wanted from me that morning, totally forgotten by all of us.

I tried to contact Susan but no one knew where she was or what this special assignment of hers was. I learned from Lt JG Corwin that she had received a personal call from Ambassador Delenn and had left as soon as the call ended. I tried to rationalize that maybe Delenn was just informing Susan about her involvement with the Rangers or something related to that matter, but none of them answered when I called them and Mr Lennier told me that both of them were in closed quarters at Ambassador's Delenn's due to a private matter. I was upset about it, because whatever personal was going on there, I should have known. Finally I got hold of Susan through the Babcom System, though I think Mr. Lennier had something to do with that.

"Are you alright?" She asked. Concern evident on her voice

"I need to speak to you. Privately" was how I greeted her

"Can this talk wait for a few hours?" She asked looking apologetically at me "Let's say until dinner tonight?"

I seethed, I was getting angrier at Susan every passing second. Wasn't she supposed to put all my needs above everything else? Wasn't that her job as my mate? "This is important"

"I believe you, but I really can't leave Ambassador Delenn at the moment" she said looking at her side, where I guessed Delenn was perched

I was prevented from answering her by Ambassador Delenn herself popping into the screen. The sight was somewhat hilarious and I'm sure were I not as angry as I was at the moment, I would have burst out laughing. "Please Ms Winters, I really could use Commander Ivanova's help" she said. Her hair looked like a wild lion's mane and there were even some small objects popping out from some places.

"Is that a lollipop?" I asked taking a deep breath in order to calm down

"I don't know how it got there" said Ambassador Delenn pointing to the place where the lollipop was indeed placed "I promise she'll make it for dinner on time" I sighed "Or you could come over, I'll let you talk"

"No, it's alright" I said truthfully "sorry for my outburst Ambassador. It's just been a weird morning"

"Tell me about it" she said chuckling now, relieved I was 'lending' her Susan

"You sure?" asked Susan looking me in the eye

"I just needed to vent" I told her softly "I'll tell you later all about it"

"Alright. See you tonight then" she said smiling before ending the link

After canceling my appointments for the day, I ended up at B5's auction house, which was as usual that early in the morning, mostly deserted.

"Left my office in quite a hurry" said captain Sheridan taking a seat at my side "Didn't have much of a chance to talk"

"I was not in the mood" I told him coldly. I still did not trust him completely, even when Susan did

"I gathered that" he said chuckling "Are you now?"

"Look Captain, I know you're in charge of the station, but to be blunt, this is not your concern"

"You're right Ms Winters, as Station Commander this isn't my concern" he agreed "But as one person who sees in pain another one who is deeply loved by a friend of mine, or who considers that person in pain a friend or at the very least an ally… I just wanted you to know that I'm willing to listen" I looked at him in the eye and there was not a sliver of deceit there, just open concern for me. I understood there and then why Susan trusted him so much. Captain Sheridan was a good man. "Did you reach Susan?" he asked me changing tactics

"Do you know what her special assignment consists of?" I asked myself

He shook his head "Nope. I was just asked by Ambassador Delenn who was the female officer I trusted the most and referred her to Susan"

We fell silent then for a minute or so, before I sighed again. "Alright. Walk with me?" I asked him, he smiled softly and offered me his arm. We ended up sitting at Eclipse Café in Zocalo. "The Corps decided a while back, that Matt and I were genetically compatible" I started "The odds of us producing an offspring of equal or greater telepathic abilities were substantial. It all happened so fast"

"How long were you married?" he asked after taking a sip of his cup

"Just long enough to realize it was a mistake" I said looking away. Knowing that I had been a coward by accepting the marriage when Psi Corps ordered so

"Psi Corps isn't exactly forthcoming with its membership" stated Sheridan "but the information it turned indicated that Stonner wasn't Corps"

"He left, shortly after Psi Corps had our marriage finally annulled" I informed him wincing at the memory

"I thought the only way anyone left Psi Corps, was feet first"

I smirked, knowing it was truth for most of us "Matt had connections. He had…" I faltered, actually not really knowing how he did that "I don't know what he had. No one in authority wanted to talk about it." His linked chirped and he had to leave to comply with his duty as Station Commander, which left me pondering about everything I had told him and the can of worms the memories brought back

"Hello Talia" said the voice I dreaded to hear. He was hovering above. I glanced at the time and sighed, realizing it was not even midday yet "aren't you glad to see me?" he asked me then. I tried to bail but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist in a firm grip. I could see from the corner of my eye, one of Susan's pack mates, a guy whose name I did not know yet but I was certain I had seen him talking to Susan and Magda a few times, so I decided to sit back in order to avoid any kind of scene or confrontation.

"Why have you come here?" I asked him trying to release my wrist from his grip to no avail

"You were never a great believer of coincidences" he said amused "We had something once Talia" he added trying to hold my hand in his, moment I took as a chance to free myself from his grasp, placing both my hands on my lap, out of his reach

"You had something, not we. And it's nothing I want any part of"

"I'll add it to the list of things you don't any part of" he said in a condescending tone "Like Psi Corps. But then I forget, anyone that's telepathic doesn't have that option" he added mockingly

"Except you" I unnecessarily reminded him

"You die to find out how I did it, don't you?" he asked leaning closer "How I got out"

"Yes" I confirmed

"Anyone can, all you have to do is use your telepathic abilities"

"Oh that's all. Silly me, how could I not know"

"I did it" he said nonchalantly as I stared at him, not exactly sure why I was feeling compelled to believe him "They have no hold on me. I can arrange for them to have no hold on you either" He said with such passion in his voice that it was hard not to trust his words "You'd be out of Psi Corps Talia, you'd be free" he said and I was about to agree, if it wasn't for his next words "And we could be together" he said offering me his hand.

I faltered. I felt as I said, compelled to trust him and to agree, but I knew I couldn't just be with him, not after how things ended between us and specially not then when I was finally with Susan. I was saved from answering by Magda approaching me and calling for me.

"Talia! Sorry I'm late" she said as she reached the table I was at with Matt. "You ready to go?" she asked gesturing for us to leave. I nodded and rose from my seat.

"Think about it" said Matt as I walked away.

"You alright?" she asked me as we reached Susan's office in Red Sector, though I think that by that time it was more Magda's than Susan's, since it was her doing most of the paperwork there.

"Yes, thank you. Just a little shaken" I finally told her as I reached for the cup of tea she was offering. Then we fell silent and I let her work while she left me to my thoughts.

Less than an hour later, Yury showed up for lunch. Luckily, Magda knew I was in no mood to go out yet, so she offered to order take out for the three of us. I ended up declining and heading to my quarters, where I would wait for Susan to come.

I reached the turbolift that would take me closer there, when I was intercepted by Mr Garibaldi. I sighed and rolled my eyes, wondering when would this guy understand that I was not available, and that even if I had not been with Susan, he would still never got a chance.

"Talia! I spoke to your ex-husband" he said panting, trying to catch his breath, leaning against the threshold of the lift, preventing it from closing "if he ever bothers you, just say the word and I-"

"Please, keep that at this" I said interrupting him "It's not your concern"

"But I feel it is" he added cockily, which annoyed me even more

"Feel differently" I told him upset by his actions while shoving him away in order to get the lift doors to close and then head to my destination.

I arrived to my quarters and basically moped all evening, until Susan came in.

"I came bearing gifts" she said leaning at my door frame, holding up two glasses and a bottle of wine on her hands. I smiled softly at her, the first real smile I had that day, the irony of her words was not missed by my memory and as soon as she stepped in and the door closed behind her, I latched onto her, embracing her as tightly as I could. "I see you missed me" she said playfully, keeping me inside her arms, while still managing to hold her 'gifts' on her hands

"You've no idea" I told her pecking her on the cheek

"That bad?" she asked now concerned while placing the glasses and the bottle of wine on the side table I had.

"It's Matt" I told her sitting flatly on my bed "He's here"

"Stonner?" she asked confused, to which I nodded "Oh" she said taking a seat too. "Want to talk about it? Or do you just want to take your mind off it?" she asked me taking my hand in hers

I shook my head "I don't, but we need to" I sighed "You know we were married" I probed and she nodded. "Things did not end well, when Psi Corps issued our annulment, he got… violent" I heard her growling and I couldn't help but chuckle briefly at that "I'm fine" I told her seriously, looking into her eyes "He just was under the impression that even when Psi Corps had stated it was a mistake, that we were soul mates" she growled louder at that

"You are mine" she said growling fiercely, which I'm sure would have scared anyone else, but it was amusing and flattering for me

"That I am" I told her cupping her face, forcing her to look me in the eye "I just know he will cause some trouble when he learns about us, and I didn't want you hearing about him from anyone but me"

"Mine" she growled again before crushing her lips onto mine.

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**A/N**_: _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 20 (46)**_

_**Healer**_

Talia was certainly worried once she reached the part about the ancient dark enemy that was described on the Book of G'Quan, she was at some point adamant in me talking at least to Ambassadors Delenn and G'Kar if not with John, in order to address that possible threat, especially considering the news the pack kept getting and hearing as well as the rumors that kept going around the fighter pilots, Keffer was the most obsessed about them and in that I agreed with Talia, was troublesome. However, I managed to somewhat put her at ease after Oskar and Nikita joined the Anla'Shoks.

On the other hand, I was still overwhelmed with everything around the station. My duties to Earthforce, my duties to the company, my duties to the pack, my duties to the Drazi, and of course my duties to my mate. But thanks to her support and the help provided to me by the pack, I managed. News from Ha'Rok and Louba were always scarce and not encouraging about the war between Narn and Centauri, which also reflected on the station and the daily booms.

And it troubled me that we had not heard from Scott of Rabbi Koslov back from Earth, or from Tessa back on Mars for a little longer than usual, we were by then reaching two weeks without contact, and for that reason I decided to send scouts to those locations. AJ volunteered for the task, but with him acting as trainer for the Purple Drazi, I could not allow him to go, even when I knew he just wanted to check up on Scott and Isaac, seeing as they were friends from before joining my pack. So with that in mind, I ended up sending Crystal and Tyler back to Earth, and Holland and Colton back to Mars, with a little luck they might even be able to trace Laura, even if she was still with Derek and Peter. The story of their pack was a rocky one, but they had been family to each other, and Derek and Scott had faced Deucalion way before Lance started to join all the packs to prevent what Deucalion had done, a pack only of Alphas.

"Is that bad?" asked me Talia when I told her about Isaac and AJ.

"A pack of only Alphas?" I asked her for clarification. She nodded. I sighed. "It's complicated." I told her truthfully "There are 4 types of Alphas, all four strong in their own right, but it's always messy when two Alphas face each other, no matter what type they are. You saw it first hand when… well, Vladimir attacked us"

"Are there any other Alphas on the pack? You are after all, a lot of wolves" she asked half jokingly

"Three more on board, Yury won't be a problem at least for a few more years. Ethan and Aiden, the twins, they won't be a problem either, they were at one point part of the Alpha Pack Deucalion lead, but they ended up willingly joining Scott's pack" I sighed again "Tessa is." I whispered

"Didn't you say she was just Acting Alpha since you could not be on Mars?" Asked me Talia a little confused about that

"If she comes here, or I go there, she'd be facing a choice, well her wolf will. She'll either submit to me again, or she'll challenge me for Alpha position. She's an Alpha now"

"Aren't you worried?"

I shook my head "Truth is even when we are a really big pack, we're still formed by smaller packs, so it is more like I lead all packs and each pack has its leader. Derek and Scott are Alphas too, as well as Peter. Scott's not really a problem, but Derek and Peter certainly could be if they decided to stay in the same vicinity as the rest of us. So it's safer if we stay away from each other unless we have to join forces against a common problem."

"Like the Hunters?"

"Among other threats. Yes." I told her while nuzzling into her hair. He scent always soothing me

"Ok. So which type are you and what the other types are?" she asked wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"Elected ones. Like Tessa and my father. When an Alpha knows they are no longer able to perform their duties for whatever the reason, they get the chance to select someone from the pack to perform them and become Alpha. Not many Alphas do, because they already have the second kind of Alphas that exist, the born ones, the ones that like Vladimir, Yury, Ganya and myself, are children of the existing Alpha. When their parent, the Alpha passes away, we immediately become Alphas, and if there are two or more blood Alphas, like was the case at one point with Ganya and myself, the oldest can abdicate in favor of whomever they decide, and the younger can fight for the right to lead."

"Was that what happened with Vladimir?"

"Not exactly, we were not born from the same Alpha. But he had Alpha blood in his veins, that's why it was easier for him to challenge me. And the reason he was able to turn so many people on board the station, only Alphas can give the turning bite." I said somberly, letting her know for the first time that she could not just go asking any other wolf to be turned. "Besides, both of us were born under the full moon, which is not common at all" I added hastily. "Pack politics can be more tiresome than Earth Alliance ones" I said chuckling.

"What about Scott, Derek, Peter and the twins?" She asked me intrigued.

"Well, they all are special cases. Scott is a true Alpha"

"True Alpha? What do you mean by that?"

"He was turned by Peter, and then became Alpha by his will and force of character. He didn't fight for it, he wasn't even trying to become Alpha, he just did, by sheer determination to keep his pack mates safe. He was the first in many many years who achieved it, and no one has done so since him. I used to love whenever he told his story to us younger ones, and pointed out where he thought he could have made a different choice. He is great at giving advices" I said straightening and offering Talia my hand to help her rise from the couch where we had been cuddled.

I managed to change the topic after that, as we went out for dinner. I was not ready to tell her all about the twins and certainly not about Derek.

Next morning I walked with Garibaldi and we ended up at Customs where we had a weird chat with Vir as he was there waiting for Mollari's wives. I left before Garibaldi did because he caught glimpse of a couple of guys raising their voices, so he decided to follow the calmer one when they broke apart.

"Commander, you've received a formal invitation to Ambassador Mollari's 30th Anniversary of his ascension. All information regarding the celebration is on the file you received." Reported Corwin as soon as I walked into the Dome one morning.

"Thank you Lt. JG" I thanked Corwin as I walked past him to my station.

"Also, you got an encoded message from Ambassador Delenn" he added.

I read the message and it stated that it was of utter importance that I reported to Ambassador Delenn's quarters immediately after receiving said message.

"Station 1, you've got the Dome. If the Captain asks, tell him I was summoned to a meeting with Ambassador Delenn" I said walking out. My day just became weirder as it progressed. I wondered all the way from Blue to Green Sector what might be the reason that Delenn asked for my presence with such vehemence. Maybe she had figured out I had people following her Rangers on the station, or maybe it had to do with Oskar and Nikita, and maybe I was overreacting and it just had to do with my Company and something Elafe failed to report.

"Yes, What!" Asked the annoyed Ambassador a second after I chimed at her door

"Ambassador Delenn, you asked to see me?" I offered taken aback by her aggressiveness, which was out of character

"Are you alone?" she countered

"Yes" I said sighing

"Come in, quickly" she said as the door opened. I stepped in and less than a second later it closed again. I was taken aback by the sight of Delenn literally fighting with her hair. "Commander, I want you to understand I acquired human characteristics to bring your people and mine closer together…" she started "It is supposed to be a dignified position for both our people, so would you please explain to me why this… this…" she faltered at a loss for an accurate word gesturing to her wild mane

"Hair" I offered

"It refuses to cooperate" she said annoyed as I walked closer "I had no problems with it at first, but as time passes, it…" She faltered again.

"It's pretty brutal" I agreed after touching it to assess it. It did not smell bad, not at all, actually all in all, Delenn's scent was quite pleasant and calming. "What are you washing it with?" I asked her then

"Wash it?" she seemed confused by the notion

"Yes, you know, when you bathe" I offered

"We used a chemical compound that strips away the outer layer of the epidermal tissue" she explained quite proud of herself "It's symbolic of being reborn each day"

"And you've been using it in your hair?" I asked amused

"Yes"

"Curiouser and curiouser" I chuckled

"I beg your pardon?" she asked offended

"Sorry, it's just an old Earth pop culture reference. 'Alice in Wonderland', my brother loved that story. I myself was more a 'The Little Prince' kind of girl, but then again, to each their own I guess" I sighed and refocused on the 'task' at hand. "Have you considered to just submerge your body in water to remove the sweat?"

"We do not perspire in the same way you do" she explained "While we sleep, we secrete a fluid-"

"Ambassador" I interrupted, not wanting to know more about alien fluids "Maybe I should just get somebody else to deal with this"

"But you know what to do" she stated

"Well… my mother used to do my hair" I said as a memory came to mind "but I'm sure-"

"This is most embarrassing" she whispered "look at yours" she said gesturing to my own hair

"I have duties" I told her

"Please, I trust you." She said truthfully "Could you at least just tell me what to do?"

I sighed and knew I might come to regret agreeing to that. "CnC, this is Ivanova" I said taping my link "Please inform the Captain that barring an Emergency, I will be a while" Delenn smiled at me and offered me her comb as soon as I ended the call.

It took a little cunning from my part, but I managed to talk Delenn into taking a bath or shower from then on. However at the time what we did was just wash her hair on the sink that was at her quarters. I had to briefly leave her for a few minutes in order to get some toiletries for her.

When I got back there, I was informed by Delenn that Lennier had let her know that Talia had been trying to contact me for a while now, and that she had seemed troubled, which prompted me to ask her to allow me to contact Talia in order to see what she needed.

"Susan, it is of utter importance that I speak to you as soon as possible" was the first thing she said once I opened the link.

"I'm currently assisting Ambassador Delenn on an important matter" I told her truthfully, not wanting to lose Delenn's trust by informing Talia exactly what was going on. "Can we talk about it over dinner tonight?"

"Fine, just remember you wanted to postpone this" she said clearly upset and that worried me

"Don't be mad" I pleaded, hurting to see her like that and not being able to be there for her "Can't you tell me now? I really can't leave Ambassador Delenn at the moment"

"No, I can't. I'm not mad" she said sighing and calming down. "I'm just worried how you'll react"

And that got me "Is it bad?" I asked now worried about whatever was troubling my mate to the point to fear my reaction. Whatever she was about to say was cut off by Delenn appearing on screen at my side and stating what I was doing there.

"I really would appreciate if you did not take Commander Ivanova yet" she said. "As you can see, I could really use her help" she added gesturing her hair "If you wish you can come over and tell Commander Ivanova whatever you need to" continued Delenn after a moment

Talia sighed again "Sorry Ambassador, it's been a weird morning. It's alright; it can wait for the time being." She then focused only on me "See you for dinner" she half asked

"Sure, I'll bring the drinks" I told her smirking

"No more vodka please" pleaded Talia. Our last date night that included vodka proved to be too much for my mate. She could not hold well her liquor.

"See you tonight Talia" I chuckled ending the link.

As I washed Delenn's hair we became better acquainted. I told her mostly how conflicted I had been for my feelings for Talia and curiously in turn, she told me that she thought she was beginning to develop some kind of feelings other than admiration for John. Then we drifted to different topics such as childhood memories and how we came to be who we were at the moment. As subtly as I could I asked her about the Rangers, I asked her about her beliefs and compared as I had done once on a small debate with Elafe, Valen to Jesus in which my people did not believe in.

"If you do not believe in him, why would you bring him up?" she asked amused

"Well, as Jew I don't believe that Jesus was THE messiah. But as I said, it's the closer thing we have back on Earth. Maybe Buddha, but the fact that we have such different beliefs back home certainly makes it hard to compare it to alien beliefs"

"Yes, I remember how troubled Commander Sinclair was during the religious demonstrations. But he did such a wonderful job" she said almost purring from the massage that resulted from rinsing her hair.

She however did not say anything different or additional to what Elafe had already told me, which is the reason I decided to leave the subject at peace for now. Just as I finished drying her hair and started to comb through it, Lennier came in.

"Ambassador, we've received an invitation to-" he faltered upon seeing us

"Yes Lennier? An invitation to…?" Asked Delenn prompting him to continue

"A celebration for Ambassador Mollari, the 30th Anniversary of his ascension" he stated

"That's significant?" I asked "I received one too this morning"

"For a Centauri, yes" said Delenn "Lennier, we'll accept of course"

"I will convey that message" said curtly Delenn's aide still staring at us both

"Anything else?" asked Delenn amused

"Is that, painful?" he asked concerned pointing at Delenn's head

"Actually, it's oddly relaxing" stated Delenn. Lennier looked confused for a moment before bowing and leaving

After her hair was done, I spent the rest of the evening giving her tips on how to care for it and where she could find different ways and items to style it. Then, we diverted back to my personal life, and oddly it was not uncomfortable at all. I believe that day I did befriend Delenn which is good considering where we all are today.

"I really don't know Ambassador" I told her truthfully after she asked me how it was possible that I stayed so long hurting Talia and myself during Talia's courting of me "It seems stupid, I know. I feel rather stupid remembering all I put us through."

"But you've come a long way" she conceded

"Certainly" I agreed. "I just-" I faltered, for a moment not knowing how to express at the time being "I just want to be with her, all day long. Wanted to since the moment I laid eyes on her"

"But your human stubbornness got in the way" she added. I smiled almost shyly at her before nodding. "I must admit were I in her place, I don't think I would have gone through all that. Her love must be stronger than anything I've seen before, and believe me, I've seen a lot through my lifetime"

"It's getting late" I told her getting up

"And we wouldn't want your partner to be upset at you for being late because of me" she added playfully

"She's certainly a force to be reckoned with" I sighed "I'm an idiot for even trying to go up against her" I added as I walked to the door

"Commander" she called after me just as I passed the threshold. I turned to see what Delenn needed before I left. "I know it may be over stepping a boundary, but I think you should really court her a little more openly before you propose as you seem to be planning" I was dumbfounded.

"How did you know I was going to?" I asked her immediately tucking my hand into my trousers pocket to make sure that little box I had acquired the day before was still there and not somewhere on the Ambassador's floor.

"That way" she said gesturing to the hand in my pocket. "I had to familiarize myself with human rituals before coming to Babylon 5" She explained "I read many of your 'novels', and you've been doing that every free moment you've had, especially when we've talked about Ms Winters"

I sighed "I just figured I've already made her wait too long. And I myself don't want her to think I don't want to move further from where we are"

"I know. And when you do ask, she won't say no. No matter in which setting you propose" she assured me "But all this time it was her who… what's the word you humans use?" she asked me though it was a rhetorical question because she continued after a moment, before I could actually offer any word for her. "She was the one who did all the wooing." She said smiling "Why not offer her the same?"

I thought about it and somewhere in my mind I agreed with Delenn, but another part, the stubborn one, refused to wait much longer "I think I've already done that. We've gone out, we've been on dates, I've given her tokens as a symbol of my affection and devotion to her…" which I did, even before the whole 'Cortes' boom, and afterwards it had been… that's when it hit me, as soon as Talia and I 'formally' entered into a relationship, I had not really done anything like before, sure, cooked meals, our dates were still on and we were progressing physically but definitely not the same devotion Talia had shown toward me "Er, I see your point. Partly" I added glumly. "Though it'll be a tough act to surpass her wooing" I said playfully.

I curtly bowed my head at her before leaving for my quarters, where I got a bottle of wine. I was about to head back out to meet up with Talia as I had promised, when an idea stuck me. I returned to the cabinets in my kitchenette and took out two wine glasses.

"I came bearing gifts" I said smirking and holding up the wine and glasses when she opened the door. She half smiled at me as I stepped in and the next second she was holding me in her arms as tightly as the day I came back after rescuing the Cortes. "I see you missed me" I told her trying to ease her. I didn't know what had prompted such reaction and was beginning to regret all the time I spent with Delenn instead than with my mate.

"You've no idea" She said softly kissing my cheek

"That bad?" I asked her placing my gifts on the side table.

"It's Matt" She said sitting down on her bed and beckoning me to join her "He's here"

"Stonner?" I wanted to clarify, maybe there was another Matt on her past. Regrettably, that was not the case because she nodded "Oh" I added flatly sitting at her side "Want to talk about it? Or do you just want to take your mind off of it?"

"I don't, but we need to" she said shaking her head and sighing "You know we were married" I nodded once, remembering what I had seen by accident of her memories during our lovemaking. "Things did not end well, when Psi Corps issued our annulment, he got… violent" She started to chuckle at that which did not go well with me "I'm fine" she said looking me in the eyes "He just was under the impression that even when Psi Corps had stated it was a mistake, that we were soul mates"

"You are mine" I growled out without remorse. She is my mate and no one should ever think about her anyway that is none friendly, never.

"That I am" she assured me cupping my face "I just know he will cause some trouble when he learns about us, and I didn't want you hearing about him from anyone but me" she added smiling softly

"Mine" I growled again before stating my claim on her, all night long.

I smiled fondly at my mate as soon as she collapsed on me, instantly falling asleep. It's the downside of not turning her immediately, her stamina as a human. But she more than made up for that in different aspects of our lives. I spent the next couple of hours just watching her sleep and I loved every bit of it.

Somehow she managed to tighten her hold on me as she woke in the morning and as both our memories of what transpired the night before came rushing into my mind, I got worried how she'd react to my jealousy and possessiveness in the light of a new day.

"Mine" I told her again while returning the affection she was giving me, to let her know I definitely did not regret how I had acted.

* * *

**A/N**_: _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 21 (47)**_

_**Healer**_

Next morning as I woke up sprawled over her body, I felt her wariness over what happened the night before. Her possessiveness even when not unexpected, came with such passion and force that it was such an intense experience that I still can't explain, not even after all these years.

"Mine" she said once again now through her wariness, softly this time, tightening her grip around my body. I was then surprised by the fact that she willingly opened up her mind to mine; she does open her mind to me every time we make love, but it's something none of us has control over, we simply lose ourselves, so the moments when Susan consciously and willingly opens up her mind to me even when treasured and more than welcomed are rare and far between; that one time I saw and felt exactly what I had felt and heard the night before, all her possessiveness came with such a tender caring that it was mind blowing. All through our night of passion she kept stating her claim on me, but it was always accompanied by thoughts such as 'Mine to care for', 'Mine to make happy', 'Mine to protect', or 'Mine to love'

"Yours" I told her cupping her cheek and letting my mind reflect to her that I knew, and understood, and agreed, and that it was mutual. I could not and still can't bare the thought of Susan ever being with someone other than me; back then I could only see through her mind when she allowed me, how she felt by such notion.

She started to purr and nuzzle against my face, neck and eventually my chest too, which was my cue to rise. "Where are you going?" she asked me amused when I rose and started to get dressed. "My shift does not start for another couple of hours" she said smirking, which I know was due to the fact that I had forgone a shower.

I leaned in and pecked her lips before answering "I need to apologize to Mr Garibaldi. I was rude to him yesterday and even when misplaced, he was just concerned"

"Want me to come with you?" she asked me concerned herself. I knew she was still wary about Garibaldi's intentions towards me, but at least she respected him and his instincts regarding station security.

"Don't worry" I told her cupping her face "You have to do Ambassador Delenn's hair today?" She grunted and hid her face against the pillow, which made me chuckle slightly at her antics "Was that a yes or a no?" I asked then, while rising from the bed and heading to the door

"No. I think we sorted all that out yesterday, now she just needs practice" She said standing then and getting into the washroom

"See you tonight then?" I asked out loud.

She hummed her agreement and her head peaked out through the washroom threshold "Ambassador Mollari's party is tonight, you still coming with me, right?" she had asked me to be her date to Mollari's celebration right before I fell asleep.

"Of course" I told her smiling. I left my quarters as soon as I lost sight of her and I heard the sonic shower going on.

On my way to Mr Garibaldi's quarters I stumbled upon Matt and even when by the time I reached my destination I could not recall exactly what my conversation with Matt had entitled, I was not concerned about it, I just knew that I was taking up his offer to help me leave the Corps.

"Ah Ms Winters" greeted me Mr Garibaldi in his quarters as he stepped aside to let me it. "Can I help you?" he asked me once the door closed behind me and I walked further in.

"I was rude to you yesterday, and I thought that I'd… well, I'm sorry" I offered

"It's ok. No problem" he said nonchalantly

"I wanted everything settled between us since…" I stammered for a moment, not sure why I was about to say what I did, but continued anyway "Since it's likely I'll be leaving Babylon 5"

"Re-assignment?"

I shook my head "Actually, I'll be leaving with Matt" I said as I turned to leave then. I had things to do before leaving the Station, packing among them.

"Why?" asked Garibaldi with incredulity

"Apparently the Corps began to experiment on telepaths back before, when we were still at the Academy" I explained turning to face him again "Matt volunteered, but instead of strengthening his abilities, the drugs scrambled his neuropath ways and almost kill him. When he woke up, he found out he no longer could read minds, he says he could replicate the treatment, if he could do that for me-"

"Are you crazy?!" Yelled Garibaldi cutting me off "Talia-"

"No" I interrupted him in turn "I'm tired!" I explained him walking to the door. "I'm tired of learning things about people I don't want to know!" I said in that moment talking about him and his not so subtle thoughts concerning me "I'm tired of having them shrink away from me because of what I might find out!" I said now talking about Susan and how hard it had been for us to get to where we were. I stumbled then again, knowing that if I left the station with Matt, I would be leaving Susan, and I certainly did not want that. I had to talk to her about it, she certainly would understand my reasoning, right? After all, I was tired of the Corps too, which I voiced to Garibaldi "And I'm tired of being part of an organization that scares the hell out of me" I ended as I walked out, leaving a curiously bemused Security Chief.

I went to my quarters to pack for my trip with Matt, but as I did, I kept thinking about Susan, and how hard it would be to leave it all behind. I needed her to come with me, which prompted me to go looking for her at the Dome. She walked in at the same time I did, she had just had a meeting with Captain Sheridan and smiled upon seeing me.

"Isn't it a little early for lunch?" she asked amused making a big show of taking a deep breath, earning a chuckle from Captain Sheridan

"I need to talk to you, privately" I stressed out. Captain Sheridan seemed to understand the looks I was giving Susan, and he rushed to offer his office for us to discuss what had me at the CnC at such hour

We ended up having a huge argument, ironically we were both stating the same problem, but did not see eye to eye to the solution. I understood why she did not want me to go with Matt, there were a number of reasons and deep down I agreed with all of them, but the possibility of being normal with Susan was something I thrived for.

"That's the problem Talia!" She said sadly when I told her that "Neither of us is normal, no matter how hard we both try to. We've never been, and after Ironheart, I'm sure we'll never be, not that I'd change it anyway." She hesitated a moment but her link chirped, which gave her a reason to go back to her duties.

Silence engulfed us that night at her quarters while we were getting ready for our date, I ended up refusing to go with her, so she ended up going to Ambassador Mollari's Assention party on her own. She sighed by the door to her quarters and after a brief moment of hesitation she approached me and engulfed me in tight hug. "I don't want you to change, and I certainly don't want you to leave, but in the end it is your decision, which is why I won't stop you" she pecked my cheek and left to the party.

It truly hurt to watch her walk out leaving me behind, that's when I made the choice to never feel that way again, and it hit me hard realizing that it was exactly what I was doing to her, if I left with Matt, she would be the one left behind and in that case there was no way of knowing when and if I'd be going back. At that moment I knew Susan would come back to me by the end of the party and I had a chance to make things right then.

I spent the next hour or so trying to find the right words to tell all that to Susan as soon as she went back, my mind was blank and the only words that I could find to explain her were simply that I loved her, so with that certainty I was set on telling Matt to leave the station on his own, I was surprised to learn that he was held on a cell in the brig when I went to look for him. It took a little persuasion and the help of Mr Garibaldi to let me in to see Matt, and it was only if I agreed to have a security officer in there too. Zack was the first to volunteer for the task, but Garibaldi assigned Mr Welsh for it.

Matt was far from thrilled when I told him I wasn't going to leave the station with him; for a moment I was really thankful that Mr Welsh was there with me, because it looked like Matt was going to get physical any moment.

"I can't believe you're throwing away the chance to leave Psi Corps" he deadpanned still pacing around the room

"I am what I am Matt" I told him as calmly as I could "I don't want to cut out a piece of myself"

"I just wanted you to come with me" he said finally coming to a stop and leaning on the table at my side "I don't want to pressure you; I wanted it to be different this time. You should come on your own free will" he said in understanding.

"I can't walk away of who I am or what I am" I told him "If you take away my talents, I don't know what would be left of me. You can understand that, can't you?"

"I suppose" he said sighing and straightening up "But you're still coming with me Talia"

"Matt, I won't leave-" I was about to say Susan, I did not want to leave her, ever, but I was stopped by the stare he was giving me. I fought against whatever he was doing, and even when I realized then that he still had his abilities, it was not completely telepathic, which turned it hard to defeat everything he was doing inside my mind, every compulsion he was setting in.

"You're coming with me" he added in a soft whisper. And I relented, not because he defeated me, but because I understood what he was doing and I needed a way to let Susan and the others know in order to prevent him from controlling all of us. In my case, it felt like a nudge in the direction he wanted me to take, I could only imagine how normals would feel when compelled by Matt into something.

"Of course" I said smiling sweetly at him, thinking only of Susan.

"You'd be arranging transport" said Matt to Mr Welsh

"It will be waiting for you in docking Bay 9" he said without a moment of hesitation.

Matt then offered me his hand and helped me stand up, the three of us then walked to the door and headed out. A few meters ahead we were stopped by Susan.

"Hey!" yelled Zack who was cutting our way behind us.

Matt turned to face him and with a slight nod from me to Susan and Zack, Mr Allen knocked out Matt, who in turned ended up lying unconscious on the floor. A second later Mr Welsh shook his head coming out of the trance he had been in and I myself had to shake the feeling off, since Matt's presence had been constant on my mind all the trek from the holding cell to that point.

"The Chief's going to be thrilled to know he was right" said Zack

"I do wonder how he knew, or at least how he figured it out" said Susan scanning me for any sign of wounds "Are you alright? Did he get violent again?"

I shook my head "He's an empath now, he does not need to lift his hand against anyone anymore" I told her trying to reassure her I was really okay. "Just a little shaken by his presence on my mind" I told her truthfully

"Yeah, I can relate to the feeling of unwanted people roaming in your mind" she said chuckling softly

After an hour or so of debriefing with the Captain and Mr Garibaldi, I was once again in Matt's holding cell, this time with Sheridan, Garibaldi and Susan too, who was actually pacing and barely containing her growling, which was somewhat amusing but a little worrying too, considering that both Matt and Mr Garibaldi were there too, which prompted me to walk to her and take her right hand on my left.

"Quite a piece of work Mr Stoner" finally said Captain Sheridan "Our initial inquiry shows that you and Psi Corps are quits." He stated "We can charge you with attempt of murder, not to mention your escape attempt" he added getting frustrated by the minute "and suddenly, Psi Corps rides to the rescue, ordering that you be returned to them on the first available shuttle" I looked up at Susan who slightly nodded, letting me know it was truth.

"I left their employ in the most cordial circumstances" stated Matt, openly staring at Susan and myself "That the reason you refuse to leave the Corps?" he asked then mockingly, forcing me to tight my grip on Susan's hand as I felt her shaking in anger.

"No, I don't think you left their employ at all" Added Sheridan, regaining Matt's attention "You told Talia that the experiments performed on you by the Corps erased your telepathic abilities. I think they transformed it" he added "turned into something new, Mr empath" Matt looked away then, clearly busted

"Your affect on Garibaldi, Officer Welsh and Talia, all point to it" said Susan through gritted teeth. "Psi Corps couldn't keep you on a the regular roles, because the rest would find about you pretty fast" she added

"The last thing Psi Corps wants is for people to know they've been experimenting on telepaths to increase their abilities, so they let you go officially…" intervened Captain Sheridan

"But kept you on, unofficially" ended Garibaldi looking slightly concerned

"This is nonsense" said Matt chuckling

"Is it?" asked Susan still angered "Before you changed, the Corps decided you and Talia were a perfect genetic couple, so it makes sense that they send you here in the hopes of breeding more empaths" she finished shaking again

"I think you need to forget all about this" said Matt nonchalantly and I could feel him trying to compel us all. The moment Susan's grip on my hand tightened too, I knew she felt it too, and I was worried she would shift in front of Mr Garibaldi.

"Oh, I wouldn't try that little trick if I were you" stated Garibaldi nonchalantly "See, I have 5 armed guards outside watching the monitors and if they suddenly see us acting like best buddies… well, their orders are to come in shooting"

"Tough crowd" said then Matt chuckling "You surrounded yourself with tough individuals Talia" he added looking at Susan and me, and our still joined hands "I was only trying to act in your best interest, not to repeat the mistakes of the past" he paused for a moment, hesitating about his next words "It wasn't my idea" he finally said "I do know the cure though, look into my mind, no shields, no tricks"

"Not a chance" I scoffed and turned to leave, taking Susan with me

I realized we were heading back to her quarters and I sighed relieved by that, she had indeed came back to me, as I had hoped for; her eyes, however, turned a bit more serious as we neared the hall that would lead us to a Turbolift. There we were approached by Ambassador Delenn who was now on first name basis with Susan. They had and odd exchange that in part relieved a little of the tension that was building. However, tension returned the moment Susan and I finally entered Susan's quarters.

* * *

**A/N**_: _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 22 (48)**_

_**Healer**_

I was thrilled when she silently agreed to keep my scent on her body, even if only to please my wolf and the claim we had on her. I on the other hand, definitely couldn't keep her scent on mine as strong as it was at the moment if I wanted any job getting done on the station, especially considering I had neglected my duties the day before, so after making sure our date that night was still on, I headed into the sonic shower in her chambers.

"I trust everything went fine yesterday?" asked me John.

"Sir?" I asked not quite sure what he was talking about.

"You assisted on an important matter Ambassador Delenn, right?" he asked clarifying for me "That's why you were not on the Dome unless an emergency came up"

"Oh. Yes sir. Everything's fine" I told him

"You're not going to tell me what that was about, will you?" he asked me after a moment of silence

"Trust" I simply told him, knowing that would at least stop him from questioning further.

"Alright" he conceded "So what else do we have to sort out today?"

"Well, the Markhab situation is already dealt with so there's only one more thing" I told him seriously "The party honoring Ambassador Mollari's Ascension is tonight." He nodded letting me know he was aware of that fact "All attendees must be barefoot" I informed him

"Barefoot!" He exclaimed clearly surprised

"Barefoot" I confirmed standing and walking toward the Dome. As soon as we reached the threshold Talia's scent hit me and I watched her coming in from the other side. John and I caught up to her.

"Isn't it a little early for lunch?" I asked almost purring while taking a deep breath to fill my lungs with her scent and how mine covered hers. I did not realize what I was doing until John chuckled, having without a doubt got hit by the scent too.

"I need to talk to you, privately" she said upset about something. John perceived the urgency in Talia's demand and offered us his office to talk.

"I'm going to go with Matt" she said flatly

"WHAT!" I asked dumbfounded and more than upset about her statement

"He offered to replicate the process that took away his telepathic abilities" she offered as an explanation.

"And you're just going to believe him? Trust that he will actually, not to mention successfully will replicate all the variables that MIGHT take your telepathic abilities from you?! Abilities that by the way are exactly what define you!"

"Abilities that actually got in the way of our relationship" she countered losing her patience too.

"We've overcome that Talia!" I said gripping her shoulders "Don't you see?" I asked her "If you lose your abilities then I will lose you"

"You'll never lose me Susan" she said flatly and shrugging off my hold. "Don't you want normalcy on our lives? Don't you want a normal relationship?"

"That's the problem Talia!" I told her defeated "Neither of us is normal, no matter how hard we both try too. We've never been, and after Ironheart, I'm sure we'll never be, not that I'd change it anyway." I was at a loss of what else I could tell her to make understand, so it was good luck that my link chirped. "Ivanova" I said into it

"Commander, you're needed in the Dome" said Corwin.

"On my way" I said ending the link and then looking at Talia. I took a last sniff, fearing that it would indeed be the last one I got of that wonderful scent, then I left her there and headed to Dome to continue with my duties.

Other than a small misunderstanding with the traffic of ships arriving and leaving the station, which was why I was called back into the Dome, the day went by pretty quiet after that. Of course I was fuming and just wanted to kill that Stonner guy, but refrained from tracking him down knowing that Garibaldi was on to him for some unknown reason. I went to Zocalo as soon as my shift ended and got a present for Mollari, not quite sure if he'd like it or not, although I was not really caring about it at the time. I was in such a fool mood that not even Maher approached me that day.

Silence engulfed us that night in my quarters while I changed into my formal attire. She at some point had taken a shower and her scent was now only her own, not a single trace of mine, which lead me to believe that it had been a long and conscious shower at that "You have to take off your shoes" I told Talia eyeing her high heels. "All attendees must be barefoot, otherwise it is taken as a great offense to the Centauri" I told her coldly.

"I think I'm not going to go with you after all, I'll leave in the morning with Matt" she said in the same tone I had used, which felt like a stab into my heart. I tucked my right hand into my trousers pocket half thinking to just take the ring out and throw it to her face, maybe she'd change her mind and stay with me instead of going with Stonner if I did that. But I refrained and sighed heading to the door, I had not reached it yet when I decided to at least bask in her scent one more time before I completely lost her.

"I don't want you to change, and I certainly don't want you to leave, but in the end it is your decision, which is why I won't stop you" I told her truthfully before placing a last kiss on her cheek. Then I left to Mollari's celebration in the worst possible mood.

"Commander!" Greeted me Delenn as soon as I had given my gift for Londo to Vir, who put it on a pile in the center of the room

"Delenn, I thought we agreed to forgo titles. And you look lovely" I told her sincerely, letting her know she had done a great job with her hair.

"Thank you Susan… you look… distressed" she stated looking around "Is Ms Winters coming late tonight?" she asked returning her attention to me

I growled before I could utter a word out. Ambassador Delenn looked funny at me before smiling softly "I take it you did not heed my advice" she stated to which I growled again.

"It's not that." I told her after taking deep breaths to calm myself "Her ex-husband is on the station, and she'll be leaving with him in the morning"

"Oh, when will she be coming back?" she asked truly curious

"I don't think she will" I whined "I waited too long and now she's doing what anyone else would have done ages ago" I added sadly

"Which is what?" Asked me Delenn

"Stop fighting for me. I'm just not worth it" I said defeated slumping on one of the chairs that were lined to the wall

"If she was going to give up" she started taking a seat next to me "she would have done so before you indulged" I looked up at her "And as I told earlier to Mr Garibaldi. We Mimbari believe that souls travel together. Some groups of souls are drawn to each other in life and relive good relationships from the past and possible make good of the bad ones" I looked at her not understanding her point at the time, which apparently was obvious because she chuckled before elaborating "Maybe Ms Winters just wants to make amends and turn a bad relationship into a good one, but eventually, she'll come back to you. After all, she is your other part, is she not?"

"She is" I told her "There's no one else in the universe for me"

"She's your rose and you're her fox, right?" She asked smirking, earning a curious stare from my parte "I read the novels you referred to yesterday, both are lovely" she added. Then I understood she was making reference to 'The Little Prince' and I nodded

"She tamed me" I said sincerely relating for the first time to the fox in the story I loved

"Then trust in her return" added Delenn

We did not talk much after that and a couple of hours later Londo was opening his gifts. The last gift he received was claimed to be given by his youngest wife, Mariel. The item in question was an old Centauri figurine, and as soon as Londo was appraising it, he was shot to the head from the eyes of the figurine. The shot turned out to be a toxin that was found within the artifact.

"I've seen it before" stated Garibaldi taking the Centauri figurine as soon as Londo was taken to Medlab

"Where?" Asked John

"Remember that bad feeling I had about Stonner?" he countered making me growl ready to pounce on Stonner.

"Please elaborate" said John to Garibaldi as he squeezed my shoulder to ground me as best as he could.

"Stonner brought that in yesterday, he was completing a trading transaction when I 'bumped' into him" explained Garibaldi

"Alright, bring him for questioning" ordered John, then he looked at me "Go to CnC and stay put" he added before leaving to the Medlab

I was pacing around CnC, having a hard time controlling my instincts. My wolf demanding me to go grab my mate and let her know what kind of man she was planning to leave me for, and to challenge said man for the right to mate, ending his life and proving not only my mate but everyone else, that no one was better suited for Talia than me.

When Zack came running into the Dome with Talia's scent slightly lingering on him, I got worried, and when he stated what was happening my concern just spiked up.

"The chief thinks that Stonner fellow is an empath." He stated looking me in the eye "And he has put Talia in the same room as him, hoping to be able to prove it when they leave the station" As soon as those words left his mouth, I growled and sprinted toward the holding cells, Zack just a step behind me all the way there.

I had signaled him to round them in order for me to be able to face them, which proved the best decision when I stumbled upon Talia, Stonner and Mr. Welsh heading through a corridor in blue sector, a few yards away from the holding cell where Stonner had been held.

"Hey!" yelled Zack from behind their retreating forms,

Stonner turned to face him and when Zack and I noticed Talia nodding at us, he knew exactly what to do in order to save the man's life, he knocked Stonner down.

As soon as he lost consciousness, Mr Welsh snapped out of whatever trance he had been in, and I realized Talia was shaking her head, as if to get rid of something.

"The Chief's going to be thrilled to know he was right" said Zack

"I do wonder how he knew, or at least how he figured it out" I pondered out loud while scanning Talia to make sure she was fine "Are you alright? Did he get violent again?" I asked concerned for her safety

"He's an empath now, he does not need to lift his hand against anyone anymore" she said confirming Garibaldi's and Zack's statements "Just a little shaken by his presence on my mind" she added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, I can relate to the feeling of unwanted people roaming in your mind" I told her, chuckling with relieve. She did not want to leave me; she was being manipulated by that man. It worried me that he had been able to have such a control over her, especially when Psi Cops were not able to control her that way or get into her mind as easily as Stonner seemed to had done, but that would have to wait for another time.

I had a meeting with John and Garibaldi, in which I debriefed them in what had happened and why I had left my post. John was pissed that I had left CnC, but he understood my reasons to do so. Less than half an hour into our meeting, Mr Bester contacted the Captain and demanded that we released Mr. Stonner into the custody of the PsiCorps, which only prompted additional debate and discussion. So, after a tiring couple of hours, we all found ourselves inside a holding cell with Mr. Stonner again. Talia decided to stand at my side and take my hand in hers in a comforting gesture, I guess trying to calm me down.

"Quite a piece of work Mr Stoner" finally John after a few minutes of silence and staring one into another "Our initial inquiry shows that you and Psi Corps are quits." He stated "We can charge you with attempt of murder, not to mention your escape attempt" he added getting frustrated by the minute "and suddenly, Psi Corps rides to the rescue, ordering that you be returned to them on the first available shuttle" Talia looked up at me, silently asking me if that was true or if we were bluffing, I could only nod.

"I left their employ in the most cordial circumstances" stated nonchalantly Stonner, staring at me, then he turned his attention to Talia "That the reason you refuse to leave the Corps?" he asked her mockingly.

"No, I don't think you left their employ at all" Intervened John before I pounced on Stonner. "You told Talia that the experiments performed on you by the Corps erased your telepathic abilities. I think they transformed it" he added "turned into something new, Mr empath" Stonner looked at the floor then, whe had busted him.

"Your affect on Garibaldi, Officer Welsh and Talia, all point to it" I told him seething with rage. "Psi Corps couldn't keep you on a the regular roles, because the rest would find about you pretty fast"

"The last things Psi Corps wants is for people to know they've been experimenting on telepaths to increase their abilities, so they let you go officially…" added John

"But kept you on, unofficially" ended Garibaldi looking slightly concerned

"This is nonsense" said the prisoner chuckling

"Is it?" I demanded still shaking in anger "Before you changed, the Corps decided you and Talia were a perfect genetic couple, so it makes sense that they send you here in the hopes of breeding more empaths" The idea of Talia with anyone else other than me made sick, but the idea of the Psi Corps just using her to breed stronger telepaths for them not only sickened me, it maddened me to the point I would have shifted right then if it wasn't for Talia's soothing touches.

"I think you need to forget all about this" said Stonner nonchalantly and I felt a probe in my mind, which angered me even more.

"Oh, I wouldn't try that little trick if I were you" stated Garibaldi as if that was a normal thing to feel "See, I have 5 armed guards outside watching the monitors and if they suddenly see us acting like best buddies… well, their orders are to come in shooting"

"Tough crowd" said Stonner chuckling releasing us from his probe. I noticed John and Mr Welsh shaking their heads more vigorously than Talia and I did. I however never saw Garibaldi doing that "You surrounded yourself with tough individuals Talia" added Stonner. "I was only trying to act in your best interest, not to repeat the mistakes of the past" he paused for a moment, carefully chossing his next words "It wasn't my idea" he finally said "I do know the cure though, look into my mind, no shields, no tricks"

"Not a chance" scoffed Talia, making me grin as we turned and left.

According to John, Stonner's original questioning after the incident with Mollari, revealed that the figurine had been recovered by him and his team from a Centauri archeological site, which had been abandoned after a Narn occupation due to the quantity of booby traps left by the Narn to the unsuspecting Centauri.

Also, Stephen confided in John and myself how he managed to save Londo's life. Originally no one thought he'd make it because we did not have the anti-toxin, nor we had Mollari's blood type on stock and according to Stephen, we'd never been able to properly synthesize artificial Centauri blood. Well, to understand why the solution was unexpected I have to tell you that the Centauri Acting Emperor had decided that the gift he'd offer to Londo was to concede any whish he wanted that was within the Emperor's power to fulfill. Londo asked to be divorced of his three wives, however the Acting Emperor stated that he would divorce him of only two and he had to choose one to keep. Londo apparently loathed the three of them and wanted to give them nothing but disrespect, so he let them try to win him over in order for him to choose who to keep. Stephen stated that he was able to save Mollari's life because Timov, Londo's 1st wife, revealed that she shared her husband's blood type and was willing to do a transfusion with the condition of never letting Londo know she did that. All in all, it went well for her, when Londo recovered his two other wives appraised him with false words of concern and love, however Timov did not such a thing, she just limited herself to be quiet and wait for him to dispatch her along with another one of the wives. Londo decided in the end to keep Timov, according to him, with her he'd always know where he stood, because even when there'd never be love between them, there had always been honesty and that he needed in the future.

Talia and I were approached by Delenn as we walked through Blue Sector after leaving Stonner to John and Garibaldi. "Commander" she started, but I looked at her, still walking, reminding her with that of our agreement. "Susan" she conceded making me half smile "I wish to thank you again for your patience and understanding" she said gesturing to her hair.

"Not a problem" I told her truthfully

"Taking on human characteristics has been something quite educational" she said making me smile again

"Well, if you have any other problems, any other questions at all, just ask" I offered as we entered the turbolift.

"Well, now that you mention it. Do you have any idea why I suddenly started getting these odd cramps?" she asked me gesturing to her belly. I sighed and could see Talia smirking and about to chuckle at the situation.

"It's complicated" I offered "I'll be at your quarters tomorrow before my shift starts."

"Thank you Susan" Said Delenn as Talia and I exited the lift on the right level to get into my quarters.

I lead us inside, not quite sure how we would deal with this. It had been quite a lot and I had been hurt and angry. "The more I think about it, Talia, the more I ask myself if this is really happening. Everything seems unreal." I told her when we were sitting on the couch; I had not headed all the way into my bedchambers because I was not sure if she'd stay the night or not "I´m not used to feeling like this about anyone. It´s just so overwhelming." I confessed "And when I remember all the time we lost..." I faltered, indeed overwhelmed by the feelings I had at the moment, that I knew were not just my own, but Talia's too. She reached me and kissed me softly before adding her two cents.

"Susan, I am not used to any of this, either. What happened to us was not lost time." She said cupping my face "At least that was what my tired brain tried to tell me tonight, when you walked away. We are a stubborn pair and it took us all that to get here." She added softly, her next words were not only spoken by her voice, but reflected into my mind too. "Now that we are finally together, what I want is to make the most of this with you."

She kissed me again with the same love and passion she usually did when we were alone and I basked in her warmth and love and her essence. I smiled into our kiss knowing that it was time.

"Yes" she said when we broke apart

"Yes?" I asked confused, I was however only confused for a couple of seconds, because her perfect and knowing smirk reminded me that at the moment we both had our blocks completely down. "Then let me do this right" I told her kneeling down and presenting her the small box that I retrieved this time from my jacket's pocket. "Marry me Talia" I begged her

She chuckled and took the ring out, beckoning me to place it on her ring finger "It was time you finally realized you're stuck with me"

* * *

**A/N**_:So… what do you think? Too soon? Should Susan have waited longer as Delenn recommended? Not to worry, too late to change Susan's mind now that it's out there, right? Barring an emergency (AKA another misunderstanding) things will flow smoothly for Susan and Talia relationship wise, not to say it's going to be perfect all the time, they're still both quite stubborn after all._

_While writing this part, where Talia and Susan argued about normalcy, in John's office I mean, I couldn't help but think of Susan and Talia taking Sadie's and Jojo's (Across the Universe) place during their bickering when they sang 'Oh Darling!' _

_If you have not watched that movie, I do recommend it for you. Here's the link to at least that part. … watch?v=bQWP_lGWYV4_

_NOW, go on, click down there and leave your reviews… I know you want to let me know how you liked or disliked this… _

_And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 23 (49)**_

_**Healer**_

I was beyond thrilled the moment Susan's mind slipped and let me know of her intentions to propose to me, however, that was nothing compared to the excitement and joy that filled me the moment she accepted that it was time to take that step. The 'taking things slow' plan had not really worked for anything other than to upset us both, and after the panic of almost losing each other due to Matt, it came not as a shock per sei, but certainly as an unexpected development that Susan's fear of losing me was what compelled her to move things further.

Arrangements had to be made and a lot of planning had to be accomplished, but we decided to not pressure ourselves with that, specially taking into account that Neeoma would marry Maher soon and that according to Susan, on their wedding night she would be turned.

"Will you turn me on our wedding night too?" I asked her when the subject arose. She looked funny and smirked at me before answering.

"I thought I turned you on every night" she said cockily

"Smartass" I refuted as soon as the words registered "You know perfectly well I did not mean it like that" I said seriously

"Nevertheless, if I'm successful every night, I'm sure I'll be on our wedding night too" she added

"Stop deflecting Susan" I told her taking her hands in mine. "I want to spend the rest of our lives together, and I'd like to be turned into one of your kind"

"I don't know if I'll be able to Talia" she finally conceded "On the one hand, I really don't want to lose you, and turning you would be the best way to ensure that you stay forever at my side" she said looking at our joined hands "But not everyone survives the bite. I'm not even sure if Neeoma will" she added. "Besides, I don't want to break my promise to Ganya" she said finally looking me in the eye.

"Then, why don't you let the twins turn me, like they'll do with Neeoma"

"I can't bear the thought of anyone other than me, marking you" she said softly. I could clearly feel the conflict she was experiencing at that moment, and it pained me to realize that she was in an impasse against herself.

"We'll find a way." I told her before pecking her lips "For now, we can just focus on everything else. After all, we're already late to meet the Captain"

We walked in silence to his quarters, where we would be holding a meeting regarding apparently new orders he received from his benefactors back at Earth. Things were still tense between Mars and Earth, but communications had been reestablished by that point and even when closely monitored by Earthdome, it was the best way so far everyone had to get new information about the building civil war and everything else going on around the galaxy.

"That's the reason I think if you want to carry on with this operation here on Babylon 5, you should bring Dr. Franklin into the loop" I told them "He's an honest man and he has a good heart"

"He does know a lot more than he lets on" added Susan

"Yeah, and that bothers me" said the Captain "How was he able to start a smuggling operation without you knowing?" he asked Susan

"He didn't" stated Susan mater of factly "I knew all along, I just decided not to get involved"

"So in the end, do you think we can trust him?" asked Sheridan still a little wary

"Yes" stated Susan without a doubt. Then they looked at me expecting my answer, to which I only nodded my agreement

"Alright then, I'll ask him to join us next time we meet" finalized Sheridan.

"There's one more thing John" started Susan forgoing titles with the Captain, I guess to let him know it was on a personal note. She then gently took my hand in hers intertwining our fingers, grinning widely at me. "She said yes" she informed Sheridan, though still looking into my eyes.

"It's great news!" He said enveloping us both in a warm hug. "But how will you go about it?" he added seriously

"What do you mean?" asked Susan completely lost, as I was at the time

"PsiCorps has certain procedures and Mr. Bester will try and enforce them" he concluded warily. Which was understandable, even with our joined hands, Susan started growling at the mention of PsiCorps.

"I can stall" I said thoughtfully "Though for that we do need to let them know the change in our relationship" I added sadly "Specially since Bester asked me to keep an eye on you all, basically to spy for him" I proceeded then to inform the Captain about my last meeting with Mr Bester.

"Then that turns into a double agent Ms Winters" he said in a sober tone "Are you sure you can keep him out of your mind? Are you safe joining us here?" he asked mortified

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be coming" I told them both "I'm certain I can keep him out of my mind, but I don't know how wise it would be to completely block him if confronted"

"We'll have to figure something out" said Susan dejectedly "Do let them know that we are engaged now, though with not even a possible date for the ceremony yet"

"Which is the truth" I added smiling at her. "We'll be fine"

That same night I sent a message back to Earth, addressed to Bester, letting him know that I had regained Susan's trust to the point of her proposing to me. Next morning luckily I was at my quarters by myself, seeing as I received a call from Alfred himself congratulating me on my progress regarding that particular task, however he stated that some changes would have to be installed on that one and that I would receive news from him soon. He however did not stop at that, he decided he had to taunt Susan about that fact and what our regulations were.

Susan was fuming when we met for breakfast and she let me know with quite a colorful language what she was planning to do to Bester should he actually attempt to force her to undergo a deep scan. I was able to calm her down enough to prevent her from shifting then and there, but I did wonder how I would actually be able to fulfill my promise to him away from her; the only possible way I had at the forefront of my mind was to become a rogue, because I didn't really know how strong Jason had made me.

A little before the end of the year, I was surprised by PsiCorps message. They had decided to reassign me, which meant that if I wanted to keep my cover to them, I would have to leave Babylon 5. Susan of course blew out after learning of my orders, and my request to allow me to stay on board the station even if I was no longer the assigned Commercial Telepath provided by PsiCorps, was met by a personal visit of no other than Alfred Bester.

* * *

**A/N**_: Sorry? I know, I know, it is not enough but hey, will I get off if I tell you all a secret? Well, not a secret, but still, I think I deserve something for this, today is my birthday! So yeah, this is the second birthday I have since we started TW, and next month it will be this story anniversary too!_

_Which just prompts me to thank you all for being patient and supportive. I do love the feedback that Telepath Wolf has gotten so far, I think is pretty awesome considering that B5 is not one of the most recent/popular fandoms and also that up until a little while ago, there seemed that all Talia/Susan shippers were in hiding._

_Anyway, I'm sorry for the shortness of this one, hopefully the next chapter will be up in less than two weeks and if I get the days off I'm looking for next month, the two year anniversary chapter will be as awesome as you all._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination._


	24. Chapter 24

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 24 (50)**_

_**Healer**_

Talia and I agreed not to set a date just yet, in part it was because Maher and Neeoma's wedding was fast approaching, and in part, the most important one, was that I asked her to let me properly court her as Delenn had suggested. Talia was thrilled that I wanted to make up for all the time I had been stubborn about it and jokingly threatened to play as hard to get as I did. All in all, we agreed to keep dating and continue with our lives as we had since I came back from rescuing the Cortes; and we'd set up a date the week after Maher's wedding.

"It's great news!" congratulated us John when we informed him about it. But, of course, whe had to remind us both about the nasty fact of Mr Bester having asked Talia to literally spy on us, so in order to avoid confrontations and unnecessary headeaches, Talia ended up reporting to Psi Corps the change of status in our relationship. Less than 48 hours after that, I received a message from Mr Bester congratulating me on my engagement and reminding me about the scans to which I'd have to submit at least a week before the ceremony and then once a year as was normal procedure.

"Don't worry about him" said Talia cupping my face "I won't let them near you. I promise"

"How?" I asked concerned about everything

"We'll figure it out"

John, Talia and I were at some point talking about everything at his quarters, and we agreed to bring on for sure Stephen into the loop, so the next meeting we had, we would have one more person either on board, or to look out for. We had by then re-established communication with Scott and Yossel as well as with Tessa. Things were tense both on Mars and back on Earth and the Civil War John was talking about was becoming more a reality than just talking and hoping.

Then, as the end of the year was fast approaching, Talia received re-assignment orders from Psi-Corps which almost started a full out war between my kind and the telepaths, mainly Mr. Bester who seem to have a death wish. He even boarded B5 and was about drag Talia out in the next available transport if it hadn't been for Ambassador Kosh.

"Ms Winters' services to me have not been concluded" stated Kosh in John's office, where Garibaldi, Talia, John, Mr Bester and myself were gathered.

"I'm sure that the telepath we assign to Babylon 5 will be more than up to the job" Said nonchalantly Mr Bester "She's a P7, it's best for everyone than a P5"

"Not for me" I seethed, standing between Talia and Mr Bester

"Oh, I thought you did not like us" said Bester to me

"I still don't" I growled out about to shift and rip his throat, but Talia's hold on my hand strengthened and I knew she was watching out for me, for which I took a deep breath and walked to John's side, dragging Talia with me.

"Ms Winters has proved to be the best for the needs I have at the time }" said Kosh "May I suggest you allow me to hire Ms Winters indefinitely and exclusively"

"Yeah, that could work" said John thoughtfully. He had been dragged by Kosh to lessons, apparently in order for him to understand not only the Vorlon, but the universe itself "That way if Psi Corps wishes to, you can assign another commercial telepath"

"I'll rely the offer to my associates" said Bester after a moment "In the meantime, would you mind joining me for lunch Ms Winters. We do need to have a chat"

I did not get the chance to growl again at Bester or to deny him any time with my mate, because my mate stupidly agreed.

"It'll be my pleasure" she said gesturing for Mr. Bester to follow her out.

"If he declines your offer, he'll be death before he boards any transport ship" I told Kosh "And if that happens, my family and I will have to leave" I told John.

I ended up running through Gray Sector. I had not been there in a while and it came as a surprise that instead of Maher, it were Ethan and Aiden who joined me and spared against me. I did not hear from Talia until next morning, and it was just a short message stating that Mr. Bester had requested a meeting with John and myself after breakfast.

Said meeting, went as well as could have been expected, all things considered. Mr Bester threatened to get into my mind, and he actually sent a probe that I was able to feel and luckily not to block. It pissed me that he was roaming around my mind looking for memories and information on Talia, which was what prompted me to action.

"Get the hell out of my mind" I told him gripping his neck "If you ever, ever, do that again, believe me, you'll wish you were death in less than I can say piss off!" I said with such force and venom that I did take him and the others around by surprise.

"Very well" he said composing himself when I released him "Just remember Commander that now that you're engaged to a telepath, you'll have to submit to a deep scan right before your wedding and then at least once a year" he said smugly

"I received your message before, no need to keep repeating yourself like an idiot" I growled leaving John's office in favor of getting some job done at the Dome.

"Mark my words Commander Ivanova" said Bester over the link as soon as he was finally heading, by himself, to the jump gate. "We'll see each other again, soon" he added as he jumped into hyperspace

John and Talia later let me know that Bester had agreed to leave Talia on B5 for the time being, at least until Kosh's contract was terminated. Bester however would be sending another telepath to Babylon 5 before the year came to an end. Talia said that the only reason he agreed to leave her on the station was that she reminded him that she was working as some kind of spy for him, and now that she had gained our trust again, it would be easier to get Intel on whatever was troubling Bester. It did not sit well with me, but John had a point when he said that it was a two way espionage now, Talia had become now a double agent and we'd be giving her either false information for her to give to the Corps, or not that important information, as she had done the night before to prove her loyalties.

That same day, John asked me to take care of another matter station wise.

"Merchandising!" I asked upset. First Bester and Psi Corps and then that? "We're being merchandised? You can't be serious sir!"

"I heard about this being in the works a few weeks ago" he said simply "Mr Bester's visit and whatever his report said when he got back, seemed to have accelerated this" he explained, which made me growl fiercely. "I fought against it and lost. B5 senates and committee was asked to study ways to help us become more self sufficient" he explained trying to calm me down "The studies indicate that the sales of merchandise related to Babylon 5, system wide, could generate a projected 2 million credits a year that would go directly into our budget"

I must confess, that in the back of my mind, that made sense, but I was too pissed off at the time being to think clearly and concede without a fight "Why don't they just open a gift shop?" I asked sarcastically

"It's exactly what they're doing down in the Zocalo right now" said John curiously proud, while standing and rounding his desk "They'll sell to residents, tourists, visiting VIPs, anyone who wants a gift for themselves or for their folks back home" he said pacing while picturing the possibilities on his mind "Dolls, jackets, toys, mugs…"

"Welcome to Babylon 5, the last best hope for quick bucks" I said interrupting his musings

"Commander!"

"This is the meaning!" I defended myself "We're not some deep space franchise! This station is about something!"

"That's why I'm putting you in charge to oversee this gift shop" said John smiling softly "Which I might add, is only a test at this point"

"Why me?" I asked still not wanting to do anything with a gift shop "I hate this whole idea!"

"Exactly!" Said John triumphantly "I'm counting on you to focus that hostility in your typical diligence and make sure that this station and its inhabitants are in no way as you correctly put it, diminished" and I knew it was not only that, but his way of helping me cope with the aftermath of Mr. Bester's last visit

"Yes sir" I agreed scoffing

"Now, excuse me. I have to meet with Ambassador Kosh down in the Zocalo for another one of his lessons that could help us understand each other better" said John starting to walk away

"What is he teaching you today?"

"I'm not exactly sure, and I probably won't know even better after the lesson" he confessed not at all bothered by that fact "Oh, Commander" he added at the threshold

"Yes sir"

"While you're handling this situation, can you see if they have any baseball caps?" I was about to retort but he beat me off "For Lizzie!" he added, knowing I wouldn't fight it then. I shook my head partly amused by his antics and watched him leave.

I entered the Dome to make sure all scheduled traffic was properly organized and then left Lt. JG Corwin in charge while I headed to Zocalo to find this gift shop.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok, so to ease your minds, the beginning of this chapter as well as the whole last one, was definitely not on the original plot line, but I have plans for Mr. Bester, I kinda like Alfred, even when he annoys me as hell._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	25. Chapter 25

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 25 (51)**_

_**Healer**_

Bester demanded a meeting with the Captain to which Susan and I were forced to attend, and to which Garibaldi insisted to be part of.

"For security reasons" he said nonchalantly standing by Bester's side

Susan was shaking with rage so bad at that point that she literally had to turn around instead of facing Bester because otherwise he and Garibaldi would have been able to see her shifting eyes. What was usually a warm blue, was now blood red; her fangs now visible to both the Captain and myself, and her claws literally digging into her palm so hard that she was already bleeding. She was about to turn and jump Bester when Ambassador Kosh came unannounced.

"Ms Winters' services to me have not been concluded" stated Ambassador Kosh.

"I'm sure that the telepath we assign to Babylon 5 will be more than up to the job" argued Alfred "She's a P7, it's best for everyone than a P5"

"Not for me" said Susan between gritted teeth, still facing me while standing between Mr Bester and myself.

"Oh, I heard you had a change of heart" said Bester taunting Susan again "Thought you did not like us"

"I still don't" she growled half turning to him. I held her hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze, which fortunately served its purpose at the time and calmed her just enough for Ambassador Kosh to continue. While Susan took a deep breath and dragged me to the Captain's side.

"Ms Winters has proved to be the best for the needs I have at the time being" said Kosh "May I suggest you allow me to hire Ms Winters indefinitely and exclusively"

"Yeah, that could work" Added the Captain brightly. "That way if Psi Corps wishes to, you can assign another commercial telepath"

"I'll rely the offer to my associates" said Bester after a moment "In the meantime, would you mind joining me for lunch Ms Winters. We do need to have a chat"

"It'll be my pleasure" I hastily said while gesturing for him to follow me away, I didn't want Susan to be forced to face him longer than it was necessary.

"I trust that you have done more than just ogling the Commander since I left" started Bester once we had placed our orders for lunch

"Yes, I've kept an eye on them" I told him mildly annoyed.

"What news you have then?" he asked impatiently "Your reports are lacking, though I understand it has to do with your 'relationship' with the commander" he added in a patronizing tone

I sighed. I expected him to ask me about that of course, I just hoped he would do so after some mindless pleasantries. "They do not talk about what you asked me to keep an eye on" I told him seriously "However the Captain and Susan do meet every once in a while at their quarters while off duty" I said frowning

"I take it you don't like that arrangement" he said smirking "Are they having an affair or is it something else that is bothering you?" he asked mockingly

"Of course it's something else" I snapped at him

"If I didn't know better I would think that this infatuation you have on the lovely Commander is more than that" he stated

"It is way more" I told him flatly "I've never hidden that from anyone"

"In that case we may have to reconsider our current predicament Ms Winters" he added smugly

"I don't see any reason." I told him flatly "She is loyal to Earth, as is the Corps" I said simply

"Yes, we are." He said to my unspoken question "However she is way too hostile to our cause to be considered and actual asset"

"That is the reason I need to stay here longer" I explained "She will submit to the scans, eventually"

"What will happen once she asks you to choose between continuing your 'relationship' with her, or continue your 'relationship' with us?"

"She won't" I told him flatly, knowing Susan and I had already gone through that and that hadn't really worked for us.

"Humor me"

"There's no choice… Corps is Mother, Corps is Father" I told him before taking a sip to my cup in order to hide the sneer that was about to form on my mouth

"Very well, as long as you know where your loyalties lie… we wouldn't want to lose Control on the station, would we?" he mused while sending a light probe into my mind to make sure I was being honest. However, there was something else there, I didn't know what he was looking for at the time, a couple of months later I understood what he had done, at the time being, however, he seemed pleased with the result of what he did as he retired from my mind. "So, what is it that they do then during those meetings?"

"They gamble" I said between my teeth hoping to be convincing. They did gamble, but not as often as I wanted to make it look like

"I don't see how that is relevant Ms Winters" said Bester annoyed

"They do not gamble for credits" I told him. He just quirked his brow waiting for me to elaborate "They gamble who has to deal with certain Ambassadors or situations if they arise, or they off duty time"

"Aha! And that is not legal. I see" Said Bester already planning something "This is then the perfect opportunity we have to take them both out and make sure we put someone more agreeable to our ideals"

"If you do try to act on that, you'll blow up my cover" I told him coldly "And whatever progress I've manage so far, will be a waste" I said now taking another sip to my drink "Besides, you wouldn't get enough support, the alien delegations are happy with the current arrangements, the Captain does get the job done and he is heavily supported by Ambassador Delenn, not to mention Ambassador Kosh" I reminded him

"You might be right" he said thoughtfully "And gambling is only frowned upon off, nothing to serious." He looked hard at me then "You need to find something else, or make him supporters of the Corps"

"Which leads to the fact that I need to stay here"

After another hour or so of him giving me orders and providing certain codes in order for me to be able to directly contact him if needed, it was agreed that I'd stay taking up on Ambassador Kosh's offer, and Bester would be reporting this to PsiCorps headquarters as well as making sure the telepath they assigned in my place, knew about this and wouldn't 'blow up' my cover. However, he wanted to be the one that relayed the message to the Captain and Susan

"Hello Susan" I said to the recording monitor that night "Mr Bester would like to have another meeting with the Captain and yourself. It is scheduled at 11:00am"

Next morning the Captain's office was filled with hostile energy once again, but a little ray of hope was that Mr Garibaldi was not there at the time being, which meant that if everything went down the drain, at least Susan wouldn't be exposed, even when it meant we would have to leave.

"I just want to let you know Commander, that it will be me the one that performs the scan on your mind" he stated looking directly into Susan's eyes. I knew he had just sent a probe into her, I just hoped that Susan wouldn't notice it. Though, of course, as everything with Susan, things didn't go as one wanted.

"Get the hell out of my mind" she said holding him by the neck in the air, in an amazing and stupid display of brute force there. "If you ever, ever, do that again, believe, you'll wish you were death in less than I can say piss off!" she took a moment to stare into his eyes and let the threat sink, before actually letting him go

"Very well" conceded Bester slightly amused when he composed himself "Just remember Commander that now that you're engaged to a telepath, you'll have to submit to a deep scan right before your wedding and then at least once a year" he said smugly

"I received your message before, no need to keep repeating yourself like an idiot" growled Susan as she walked into CnC.

"My associates accepted Ambassador Kosh's offer" said Bester breaking the silence that had settled "Though that does not mean that we no longer have an attachment to Ms Winters" he finally told the Captain.

"I understand, and so does Ambassador Kosh. He stated the paperwork required to complete that was already forward to PsiCorps Headquarters for processing, so it's only a matter of making it formal" Said the Captain raising from his seat ready to see Alfred out his office

"Ah burocracy" mused Alfred "One has to love it"

I escorted Alfred to the docks ready myself for him to leave the station, but I was wary about the constant smirk on his face.

"Ms Winters, we'll keep in touch" he said as he went through the Custmos gate.

His departure did not make me feel any comfort whatsoever, not after his words and specially not with the smirk he kept since Susan left the Captain's office. Later on Susan told me that he kept taunting her as he was crossing the jumpgate.

I didn't know at the time what we would do when our wedding date was released to PsiCorps, I intended of course to keep my promise to Susan and not let them perform a scan on her, but she was right, so far there wasn't much I could actually do other than exposing her or my new gifts. As I was thinking about that particular predicament, I ended up running, quite literally, into Vir Cotto, who was drunk at the time and not making sense at all.

"Sorry, I just…" he tried to apologize and to clean his beverage of my suit at the same time "Oh" he stopped realizing, I guessed, where his hands were. "Oh God"

"Vir, are you alright?" I asked concerned. His emotions were all over the place, I could not block any of it. He was scared, sad, disappointed, hurt, remorseful and somewhat relieved.

"Oh yes…" he started taking a step back "No I'm not" he added immediately "I can't stay" he said then laughing at the top of his lungs "That's funny! She's going to kill me, but she won't because I can't stay"

"Who's going to kill you?" I asked starting to panic.

"Commader Ivanova of course" he said still laughing "But I can't stay"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because I inappropriately touched you" he said as if it was obvious, while gesturing to my wet clothes due to his lost drink

"It was an accident" I told him trying to sooth him

"Doesn't matter" he said giggling "I can't stay either way. Buh Bye" he said while waving and walking away. I tried to catch up to him but he was fast gone.

Later that day I learned that the reason for Vir's state was the fact that the Centauri Republic had sent him a message stating that he was going to be relieved of his Attache duties to Ambassador Mollari. Wierdely enough, Londo sent a message back to his homeworld stating that if Vir was relieved then he would have to be too, considering that so far Vir was the only one who had actually believed in him and stayed by his side even when he was sent to the post that no other Centauri wanted. Or at least that was what the rumor said, I chose to believe it at the time, because that proved that even when narcissistic and egocentric, Mollari was loyal. Wish he had stayed that way.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok. So, just a little more than a month between updates, that's good right? Hope you liked it. You know the drill, remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. And I still need/want/crave the feedback, I know it's a good plot and I believe myself a little more than just a decent writer, however I know I'm far from perfect, so it would be awesome if you helped get as close to perfect as one can get without turning into an egocentrically diva, or a Goddess, which of course I wouldn't mind (the goddess part, though I don't know which type of goddess or of what I'd actually like to be if that were possible, so let's get back on track). _


	26. Chapter 26

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 26 (52)**_

_**Healer**_

"Welcome to Babylon 5, the last best hope for quick bucks" I said interrupting his musings

"Commander!"

"This is the meaning!" I defended myself "We're not some deep space franchise! This station is about something!"

"That's why I'm putting you in charge to oversee this gift shop" said John smiling softly "Which I might add, is only a test at this point"

"Why me?" I asked still not wanting to do anything with a gift shop "I hate this whole idea!"

"Exactly!" Said John triumphantly "I'm counting on you to focus that hostility in your typical diligence and make sure that this station and its inhabitants are in no way as you correctly put it, diminished" and I knew it was not only that, but his way of helping me cope with the aftermath of Mr. Bester's last visit

"Yes sir" I agreed scoffing

"Now, excuse me. I have to meet with Ambassador Kosh down in the Zocalo for another one of his lessons that could help us understand each other better" said John starting to walk away

"What is he teaching you today?"

"I'm not exactly sure, and I probably won't know even better after the lesson" he confessed not at all bothered by that fact "Oh, Commander" he added at the threshold

"Yes sir"

"While you're handling this situation, can you see if they have any baseball caps?" I was about to retort but he beat me off "For Lizzie!" he added, knowing I wouldn't fight it then. I shook my head partly amused by his antics and watched him leave.

I entered the Dome to make sure all scheduled traffic was properly organized and then left Lt. JG Corwin in charge while I headed to Zocalo to find this gift shop.

"Feel free to look around" greeted me the clerk at the entrance as soon as I got there "you're entitled to 20% discount to station personnel" I surveyed the merchandise, I have to admit that there was a wide variety of items, and probably if I had not been in such a bad mood I would have tried to get at least a mug for my coffee. As it was there were mugs, cups, t-shirts, sweatshirts, plushies, figurines representing the most notorious characters on board the station such as the ambassadors, pins, caps, customs and masks.

"Everything looks tasteful enough" I grudgingly admitted walking further into the shop while bumping into an alien customer with an odd sent on him "still makes you wonder what other ways the senate will find to make money" I pondered out loud.

"You want to try this on?" said the alien taking off the mask he was wearing, revealing a human underneath the mask

"This is nuts" I muttered berating myself for not realizing first that it was a human not a alien, and still upset with the whole situation.

"Excuse me, how much is this?" Asked me a Markhab with a human mask "Do you gift wrap?" I could only grunt at that.

As I headed back to CnC I was informed by Lt JG Corwin that John had been acused of murdering a Mimbar, and that there was a witness stating that it was not in self defense as the Captain stated; so I ended up heading to John's quarters.

"I keep going over the facts over and over" he started while pouring a drink "It all happened to fast. What if I did do it?" he asked defeated turning to look at me "I did fire while he was trying to surrender"

"Are you asking me about the possibility?" I asked him in turn "Or whether I'd respect you if that's what happened?"

"Former. I don't think want to know the latter" He said somberly before taking a sip of his drink

"Then let's sort that part first." I told him smiling "Any danger of me losing respect on you is limited to you needing to ask that question…" I said seriously hoping he could hear the truth in my words "as for the former, I'll never forget you once said to me 'never fear answers, only fear running out of questions'." I completed turning to leave

"Ivanova" He called for me making me stop at the threshold of his quarters and face him again "I never said that"

"You didn't?" I asked feigning confusion.

"No!"

"Oh… well, I'll let you know who did" I added walking, surprised again by the fact that John did remember what he said or didn't. Most people just take your word when you tell you they said something deep or any other kind of useful advice.

I spent a couple hours at CnC with Lt JG Corwin, he was lining up for a promotion soon, and he did deserve it. But it was still a while away. In the meantime I kept relying on him to assist me and in the process training him to be a better officer. After delegating some of my duties at the Dome to him, I went back to Red Sector for lunch with Talia and to continue my 'scouting' of that damn gift shop.

After lunch and another visit to the gift shop, with Talia tagging along, I decided to head back to CnC. Talia escorting me back to my post in an effort I believe to reassure me that everything would work out. I was a little bit surprised to see Ambassador Kosh coming out of the turbolift as Talia and I boarded to it, where John stood grinning like a teenager with a crush.

"Another lesson?" I finally asked him when the door closed

"Yes" he answered still grinning

"What this time?" I probed curious

"Beauty… in the dark" he simply said

"It must be working" stated Talia "You're beginning to talk like a Vorlon" she added smirking

We continued chatting all the way through Blue Sector, John and I were just discussing a meeting we had scheduled with the non-aligned worlds when Ambassador Mollari called out for John and myself, quite upset may I add.

"Captain! Commander! Can we talk?" he asked holding up a figurine that clearly represented him. I smirked before glancing at John who looked lost, and then to Talia who apparently was thinking the same thing that I was. That may be the way out of the stupid gift shop. Talia excused herself and headed back to her quarters just as Ambassador Mollari started to rant about the figurine in his hands

We decided it was best to hold this meeting at John's office, however Londo kept going on and on about how ridiculous it was that Earth government was trying to get additional credits at his expense.

"And the Centauri Government will not tolerate such insults" he concluded as we reached the Captain's office.

"It's just a doll" I told him grabbing the figuring "Wasn't even made by us. It says so in the tag"

"It's a mockery!" Londo said raising his voice again "It doesn't even have any… attributes"

"Attributes?" asked John as confused as I was while taking the doll from my grasp

"Do I have to spell it for you?" stressed Londo glancing at his bottom.

"I see…" I said finally understanding "So you feel you've been symbolically cast- in a bad light?" I half asked barely restraining myself

"Well put" said John as Londo nodded once "Ivanova… have all this dolls removed at once, please" he said conceding to Mollari's original request.

"Yes sir!"

I went back to the gift shop and found something that would help me make John see what I was seeing. So as soon as I disposed of all the 'Mollari figurines' I made my purchase and headed back to blue Sector.

By that time, the issue with John and the dead Mimbari had finally settled and resolved, it turned out that the witness was lying about what had really happened; proving with that the fact that Mimbari could and would lie if it was at least to help someone else protect their honor.

"Commander, how goes the Babylon 5 store?" asked me John when he spotted me

"Most interesting" I said casually while holding my purchase to my chest.

"You know? I was thinking this might work after all" he said smiling "We could use the extra money to repay extra operating expenses… What is that?" he asked finally noticing my purchase

"Mmmh, take a look" I said handing it to John

"Babearlon 5?" He said chuckling while examining my 'teddy bear' "Oh, he's a cutie ain't he?... JS?" John asked pointing at the embodied letters on the teddy bear's jacket

"John Sheridan" I said nodding

"Oh… this is supposed to be me?" he asked incredulous now

"Yeah" I said smiling

"Huh… I want it off my station" he said firmly handing me the bear again "I want them all off my station!" he continued heatedly "I want the whole store yanked out, boxed up and shipped out by 0800 tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"I'll get right on it" I said smirking while walking away.

A few hours later I was at Talia's quarters, where she decided to keep on her nightstand, the only "JS Babearlon 5" left on the station.

"I have to agree that it is not such a bad idea" she said unknowingly voicing my thoughts on the matter.

"The thing is that it still feels like we're just being merchandising and the station might lose its meaning" I said before taking a bit of my steak.

"And what is the meaning of the station that you feel would be lost?" she asked curious.

"Babylon 5 is not just a station in the middle of neutral space" I said between bites "And it most likely will be seen just as that if this merchandising does not work, or worse, works better than expected"

"Still not answering my question my love" she said teasingly, making me smile at her.

"Do you know the Babylon Project's original goal?" I asked her. I sighed when she shook her head "to prevent another war, by creating a place where humans and aliens can work out their differences peacefully"

"But war has already started between Narn and Centauri" she said

"I know it has failed" I said somberly "but remember what's going on with the 'ghosts' in hyperspace?"

"The shadows mentioned by the Narn and the Mimbari legends?"

I nodded. "They are real Talia, I've seen them and another great war is brewing. When that happens, B5 is going to become something greater"

"Greater? What do you mean?"

"I think it will become not our best hope for peace, but our best hope for survival"

"It that case, won't we need all the resources we can?" she asked after collecting her thoughts

"Precisely a reason that they should not be spent on merchandising that won't do any good in the long run"

"Well, you'll find a way then to stop it from spiraling out of control" She said as we finished our drinks "In any case, perhaps you should stick with the shop. Remember that the Corps is looking for ways to undermine yours and the Captain's control over here, and if the senate thinks that the station should keep the merchandising in order to be self sustained, it probably means that they will be cutting the budget assigned to the station soon"

"And then it will mean we won't have enough resources anyway" I said sighing.

In the long run, I talked John into letting the gift shop stay. Under the condition that everything sold there would have to be preauthorized by him and me. And no figurines or any other merchandise representing public figures should ever be on board for sale.

It turned out that my mate was right. The senate cut our budget and we had to rely more and more on the income generated by the gift shop. Additionally, a few months later, it became our main source for credits, seeing as we were forced to become Independent from Earth.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok… No words here to describe how grateful I am you are all still here, or how sorry I am for disappointing you in the time between updates._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	27. Chapter 27

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 27 (53)**_

_**Healer**_

The tension and animosity around the galaxy was catching up on B5 and everyone on board the station seemed to be getting more anxious and less patient around other races, which of course was troubling for Diplomats and our staff. The war between Narn and Centauri was getting more savage each passing day.

The pack was doing its best to help station security to keep things in check on board the station, even the Drazi were doing their part, though they did that mostly because I had requested them to do so. Their weekly matches in front of me luckily were getting less vicious, and that was a plus. They were learning to work together, regardless of their faction (color), some of them have even stopped using their stashes stating that it was absurd given the fact that I was leader of both, so they just went with the flow and learned what they could while putting a little bit of their perspective and knowledge.

I asked Pec'ho once about their legends, the one time he decided to join me for my lesson with Elafe, and it turned out that the Drazi did have mentions of the ancient dark race too, but they did not get involved against the Shadows so they were left alone on the war, or so their legends stated.

John was still attending to his lessons with Ambassador Kosh. On the other hand, Talia was still reporting to Bester, which annoyed the hell out of me and my wolf, but it appeared to be still a necessary evil. Besides, she was being paid by Ambassador Kosh just to tag along with him every once in a while, as part of the deal he made with Bester. The new Telepath would be arriving soon to the station and I was wary about that, my mate however seemed to be not concerned at all and every free time she had while I was unavailable, was spent with the pack learning from Aunt Magda about our customs and legends, and even some fighting techniques which pleased me immensely, that way I knew she wouldn't be completely helpless or at the mercy of anyone who dared to attack her.

I was actually thinking about what an incredible experience it would be to have her as my sparring partner, when some readings showed on my console that were beyond unusual, so I had to leave my musings aside and tend to my duties as an Earthforce officer.

"What do we got?" Asked me John once he arrived to CnC after I called for him

"We picked up a signal from a ship coming out from deep space" I reported

"Is it using the Jump Gate?" he asked confused by the reports

"No, it's using a frequency I've never heard before" I told him in a serious tone

"Alien?"

"Not exactly" I said as I opened the channel for him to listen to the message

'This is the Copernicus, we come in peace'

The Copernicus was one of the first ships Earth sent for deep range exploration way before Jump Gate technology was shared by the Centauri. So it was a great surprise that it had found its way to B5. Life signs were detected on board, a female survivor who was treated by Stephen while I tried to learn everything I could about the Copernicus.

She seemed to be a temperamental ship, and something on board her was making my wolf anxious and putting me on edge. But still I was able to learn through the ships files that it lost 10% of the oxygen supply when they passed by a moon in Sector 18x70x59, and curious enough, when the ship left the sector, it was on a new course.

Mariah, the female survivor, regained consciousness and was summoned to a Council Meeting, where she started talking about Darkness approaching and soldiers of dark, making Londo, G'Kar, Pec'ho and Delenn all nervous, which in turn made me nervous too, they were most likely thinking about the shadows in Hyperspace. What was troubling here, was also the fact that Londo knew about them too but had made no reference to them, or mentioned them at all, or even acknowledge the rumors of the Ghosts the pilots kept seeing in hyperspace.

In the end, it turned out that there was a symbiotic being controlling Mariah, luckily it left her body and John, Garibaldi and myself were able to open fire on it. Once we got rid of it, or more accurately, once we thought we had gotten rid of it, we were able to decipher more of the files on the Copernicus. The new course that was set after they left sector 18x70x59 was headed towards the Rim, the place where G'Kar had warned everyone earlier in the year that the ancient force was gathering its forces… Za'ha'dum

* * *

**A/N**_: I know, hyper mega short. Sorry about that, but I didn't want to let the end of the year come and not update at least once. I know it's been a while, but between job and health and family and all that life involves, it left me less free time to write or even read, I have not read a single page on a book since August! Let alone fanfics! _

_So, you know my resolutions for this 2015, right?_

_*Keep writing and updating at least once a month to each of my fics. Starting here with "TW". Continuing with "Bella McLeod", "NPL", "Narnia y la Princesa de la Luna"._

_*Answer to all reviews and PMs that I've received. (Sorry about that guys)_

_*To read at least one book every 6 weeks. (From page 1 to the last page, in at most 6 weeks, if I complete the book in less, well Way to Go Me!)_

_Ok… Simple resolutions right? Not hard to actually accomplish, right? _

_Let's hope so._

_So once again, I really have no words to describe how grateful I am you are all still here, or how sorry I am for disappointing you in the time between updates. And how humbled I feel by your PMs and the fact that people is still adding me and this fic to faves and alerts, it's amazing, YOU guys ARE amazing. Thank you!_

_Remember to leave your reviews… they do nourish my imagination, even if it's not completely obvious to you. _

_And now of course, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Hope you have an excellent ending, and an amazing start to the next one._


	28. Chapter 28

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 28 (54)**_

_**Healer**_

The day I realized everything the Civil War forming back on Earth was about to strike all in all, was the one time General Hague visited B5. His timing however couldn't have been less than horrible because the day he was going on board, that day Captain Sheridan decided to go on a survey mission regarding the reports we had received of sightings of a strange and unknown alien ship.

Problems were that the alien ship was a disturbing issue, considering the weird reports about its sighting and the configuration of it, which was completely new. On the other hand, William Hague's ETA to the station was less than 10hrs after I received notification from John, which was upsetting considering he was a General for Earth Dome and there was protocol to follow and preparations to be met regarding his arrival. John however assured me that Hague's visit was more a personal matter so all the protocol was out of order for that same reason, I was not convinced but had to concede seeing as there was not enough time to actually do things completely by the book.

I ended up agreeing to him taking the mission because I could relate to the feeling of being trap and stir crazy while on board the station with all our duties along with the day to day issues that arose within the alien delegations. The condition for John leaving on a Fighter, was for him to take along the Delta Wing as a full escort. That proved to be one of the best decisions I've had considering all.

Commander Hague ended up arriving ahead of schedule while John was still away, which forced me to be at Customs in his place to welcome William Hague on board.

"General, Welcome to Babylon 5" I greeted

"Commander" was his terse response

"We would have had an honor guard, but the Captain gave us specific instructions…" I started as means of conversation

"Yeah, well, I don't like to make a fuss" less serious now "Never did care much about a show. I was told that Captain Sheridan would be here" He added looking undoubtedly not only for John but for potential threats.

"He went to look into a problem in the outer sector" I informed him "He should be back anytime now"

"This isn't like him. He's never late" muttered Hague "If he knew I was arriving, he'd be here"

"CnC is opening a channel support, they've probably reached him by now" I assured him as we went into the turbolift. I left him in his temporary quarters and went straight to the Dome, because I knew he was right, John was never late.

A couple hours later we still had not manage to make contact with the Captain and I was getting considerably worry.

"Any news?" asked me Talia when she approached me with take out for me to have lunch. I just shook my head as Hague entered the Dome.

"Still no word from Captain Sheridan?" he asked getting closer to my station

"We haven't reached any of them-" I started but was interrupted by LT JG Corwin

"Jumpgate activated… One ship"

"Is that one of the survey ships?" Asked Hague as the starfury crossed the gate.

"Yes" I nodded while looking at the readings of the fighter "She's been shot pretty badly. Scanners indicate she's in auto pilot"

"Susan…" gasped Talia as I felt the same thing she felt. The pilot that was on board was fast approaching his last breath, and he knew it. His subconscious mind at least, because it was projecting out what he had seen. The Captain had been taken by the alien ship.

"Minimal life signs" I added after a moment, continuing with the interpretation of the readings on my screen. "Ivanova to MedLab, it's a priority 1 alert!" I said hoping Ramirez would make it and tell us what he saw, otherwise it would be hard for me to explain what I knew now. Luckily his starfury's data record showed the same thing even when it was not accompanied by the feeling of dread and impotence that Ramirez felt when everything happened.

General Hague called in for firepower, and got the Agamenon to help out, stating that it was the fastest ship in the area. Though it was true, it was also true that John had a special connection with her and the other way around too. We also sent the information we had on the alien ship to all the alien delegations that had dealings on Babylon 5.

"Commander, we've got a message form Ambassador Delenn" said Corwin while we were waiting for the reports of the next sighting of the ship "she says she has information on the alien ship" she was on a fighter herself, coming back from a meeting she had been asked to attend with the Grey Council, I knew because she had said goodbye before leaving stating that she may not go back to the station and get reassigned.

"Put her through" I prompted him "Delenn, I'm glad to see you're back, but what do you have?" I asked her, forgoing her Ambassadorial title for the moment.

"The ship that has taken Captain Sheridan is known to us" she started "They're called the 'strypes' Over the years they have sent out ships to investigate defenses and acquire samples of any life signs they've encountered." She explained while typing on her console. "Their last expedition into Mimbari space, we drove them back to their homeworld and made sure they realized their mistake"

"Can you give us the coordinates for their homeworld?"

"Of course" she said politely as she finished typing and we received the information.

I lead the party to this aliens' homeworld space, where we were able to intercept one of their ships. I was on board my starfury, directing the rescue mission and attack, along with the Agamenon and Delenn who demanded the release of their captives while threatening the aliens by reminding them of their encounter with the Mimbari. The results were not expected at all, I was baffled by their actions.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, comforted by the fact that my mate was back home on B5 and not witnessing this atrocity first row view. "They've spaced the captives, killed them" I said into the link to anyone who cared to listen even when everyone there was watching the exact same thing. "This arrogant sons of… TAKE them down!" I ordered and headed into full attack mode.

Then, as a miracle, there was a survival pod floating between the debris in space, and an SOS signal came from within. It was Captain Sheridan and a Narn, who ended up being an interesting character on board the station later on.

After we all returned home and I made sure John was being checked by Stephen, I headed back to Talia's quarters, where I knew she was waiting for me. We were about to head to bed and get some needed rest when I received a message from John asking us both to join him in his quarters for a drink. I was debating whether or not to actually go there, after all it had not been an order, or even a request from the Captain, but an invitation from a friend, which in the end was the reason we went there.

"What!?" was the terse response Talia and I got from John through the door com link as soon as Talia chimed at his quarters.

"What do you mean 'what'?" I asked partially offended "It's us" the door opened after that, so we walked in not ready to see Stephen and General Hague who I was not expecting to see there at all, both of them siting there at John's couch. All of them wearing what I assumed were their pajamas, which was also the state of dress in which Talia and I were, both with our night gowns and a robe over all. "I see he roused you out of bed also. What's going on?" I asked

"I think you both better sit down, Commander" said Hague offering his seat to Talia, finally perching himself on the armrest at my side. As we did sit, Hague turned on a jammer, which lead me to conclude that this was definitely not official business, but also not a pleasant gathering among friends.

"Ever since the death of President Santiago, something unpleasant has been going on back home" he stated looking at each of us. "You know it, I know it. We've stood by too long, that's going to change"

"Quietly, discretely" added John "an inch at a time, and for now strictly within the rules. But we have to do something and risk losing everything we hold dear" he said somberly. Talia and I both knew what was coming from this little speech. He was officially recruiting us in front of the General, either to test our loyalties to him or to EarthDome, I didn't know what he was fishing for with this little act, considering both Talia and I were already helping him with this, but then again, maybe it was for Stephen's and Hague's benefit. "I will get some help from inside the Dome" he said gesturing for the General who nodded in response "but the bottom line is anything goes wrong we are on our own…" He sighed and after a moment surveying the room he continued "Anyone who wants to leave now before you hear anything you'll have to report, do so, nothing will be said" ended John looking pointedly at Stephen

"I'm in" said Franklin without hesitation

"Hey, I never did one butt out" I offered smirking "I'm with you Captain, wherever this goes"

"Whatever happens, we're with you" said Talia taking my hand in hers.

John and Hague did brief us on the whole situation, the big picture and the suppositions made so far, as well as the implications of it all. The most troubling part was that they believed that PsiCorps was involved in the death of President Santiago and was an accomplice of President Clarke in that and other matters. It was the most troubling, mainly because it was not farfetched at all.

"I just have one question left" Said Stephen when we were all about to leave John's quarters "Why is not Garibaldi here? He is a resourceful man" he added

"That he is" conceded John, "but for the time being I'm not sure he would completely agree with what we need to do"

"What do you mean? He has been of great help in past encounters with PsiCorps" stated Stephen

"Has he?" Asked Talia "He was ready to deliver Jason to Bester just because it was the rules, not because it was the right thing to do"

"Not that it was actually the right thing" I said earning a glare from my mate "Sorry, please, continue"

"Every time that we've had a disagreement with Mr Bester, he has sided with him because that's what is what the regulations say" she finally continued "And by this point, I beleive he is more loyal to the Corps than I am, and I was reaised by them"

"And we do not know if it's only because it is what is expected from the Security Chief, or because he actually sides with them, even with his comments about the disdain he feels towards the Corps" concluded Hague. "I actually am a little worried about Ms Winters here, you are bound to report this to PsiCorps"

"I won't." Said Talia "My loyalty now lays not with them, but with Susan"

"You got yourself a fine crew John" added Hague

"That I do" said John smiling at us

* * *

**A/N**_: So… still no words here, sorry about the long time, no excuses, no facts, no nothing, just life…._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	29. Chapter 29

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 29 (55)**_

_**Healer**_

Ever since he started his lessons with Ambassador Kosh, John had become a little more cryptic and definitely more curious about a lot of things… which I think was good in the end, seeing as that kept him always alert for the details in the whole situations. He was no longer looking only at the big picture, but starting to appreciate the small picture too. Hence the reason of him dragging me to bay 13 with him

"It's beautiful" He whispered upon entering the bay and walking closer to the ship "I've never seen anything like it. There's no sign of instrumentation. No visible way in or out. It's absolutely seamless. kind of propulsion system does it have?"

"No idea." I confessed amused by his reactions "In the two years since Ambassador Kosh arrived in this thing we've run a few surface scans, as much as we could get away with. We could barely even get through the skin."

"It's just been sitting here this whole time?" He asked clearly not beleiving this

"Mostly. He's taken it out once or twice but just to the Vorlon Homeworld and then back again." I took a step forward, closer to John and confessed something else to him. "Sometimes late at night, when not even running helps… I just come here and watch it. If you look carefully you can actually see the patterns on the skin changing slightly."

"I can't even imagine the kind of science that's behind something like this. Why, they must be at least a thousand years ahead of us. I'd give a year's pay to see what's inside this thing." He mused coming closer to the ship which was not entirely unexpected

"Captain!" I called trying to stop him just as the ship armed itself threatening to attack John. "Back away slowly." As he complied the ship dissarmed again "You can see why we've had to quarantine this whole last maintenance crew we had in here wouldn't come back. They kept having dreams about this thing. They said it talked to them in their sleep."

"It's Kosh." Stated John with certainty "He's been here for two years and we don't know anything more about him and his people, or even this ship. It's time that changed. I think I'm gonna make it my personal project."

"I thought it already was" I told him amused "Why else would you be taking those weird lessons with him?"

Whatever his response was gonna be to my teasing, was cut short by Mr Garibaldi striding into the bay "Captain, I need to talk to you. You too, Commander. Not here. I don't want this on the links and I sure as hell won't talk in front of this thing."

We did not question his reasons for not wanting to talk infront of Kosh´s ship, I admit I always left with an eerie sensation after visiting the bay.

"We just got a coded message from Earthforce intelligence." started Garibaldi as soon as we reached the Captain´s office. "Ultraviolet priority. They posted a fugitive alert for Dr. Everett Jacobs"

"Jacobs?" Asked John, I still am not sure if it was because he did not know who Jacobs was, or if it was just disbelief

"He´s on the president´s personal staff" I informed him either way

"Past tense" stated Garibaldi "He's on the run, carrying a fake ID and enough stolen information to tear the whole Earth Alliance to pieces. Unless we stop him"

"He's coming here?" asked again John in disbelief

"They think he's already here" confirmed Garibaldi "And they want him. Alive if possible. Dead. If necessary" he added after a brief pause. Seemingly unaffected by that order.

"They authorized extreme sanction against a civilian?" again John disbelieving, again

"What does this guy know?" I asked now concerned. It was a really extreme measure to take

"They didn't say" shrugged Garibaldi nonchalantly "They're sending somebody to coordinate the search. Should be arriving soon. In the meantime all I know is this… armed or otherwise, if he gives any resistance our orders are to shoot to kill"

I could not fathom any reason why Earth Alliance would want this guy dead. I ended up asking the pack to keep an eye out for anyone looking slightly suspicious or in the run.

"What is it my love?" asked me Talia while we were cuddling on the bed at her quarters after dinner

"What you mean?" I asked her in turn, nuzzling further into her neck. Her scent soothing me as always.

"Whatever is troubling you today, of course" she stated matter of fact grabbing my face making me look her in the eye.

I sighed knowing quite well that by this point there was no way I could really keep my stress or any secrets from my mate "I just wished we could go a week on the station without a boom situation" she frowned clearly not understanding where this was coming from. After all, nothing major was going on, at least not to the public "we received orders today that trouble me a little. I am not allowed to discuss this openly with you or anyone else because it's military"

Talia stared into me for a few moments, in which I was afraid she would probe into my mind for that information. I know it was absurd and disrespectful of me to think that of her, but I could not stop myself from panicking a little at that thought. That was until she nodded and laid us back down, allowing me to bask in her sent again. "Just be careful Susan" she asked me while combing her fingers through my hair.

Turned out the person in charge of coordinated the search arrived early next morning, and he asked for a meeting with the command staff even before he was escorted to his assigned quarters.

"Tell me Agent Cranston, what does Earth Special Intelligence wants with…" cautiously started John.

"Dr. Jacobs?" provided the agent "I assumed you had been briefed" he added in a mocking kind of way

"I know he is… or was" amended John. "the president's personal physician. I didn't know that gave him access to classified material"

"Apparently, he misused his clearance to dip into highly secret information" explained Cranston "New technology we're developing, certain black projects, covert mission… Enough to send the entire government into chaos and to ruin our agreements with half the Non-Aligned Worlds. We cannot allow him to offload the information he is carrying"

"What's he doing here?" Inquired John. But I knew he was stalling trying to understand why so extreme measures. If the Dr. was indeed in the run with the information they stated, it made sense to pass by through Babylon 5 if you wanted either to disappear or to sell this information.

"Probably meeting his buyer" started Cranston voicing my exact thoughts. "Or arranging travel outside Earth-Controlled space. This is our last chance to catch him before he's out of our jurisdiction" He concluded sounding oddly like Mr Bester when they were after Ironheart and the rogues in Down Below.

"All right… we'll put security at your disposal to coordinate the search" finally agreed John, seeing actually no other option

"Excellent" beamed Cranston while I noticed Garibaldi smirking "I'll have my men plug into your intellinets immediately. We'll go level by level until we flush him out" he added making me think that would actually take months to do and by the time you head to a new sector, the person you are looking for might actually go back to the one you just cleared.

"Commander, I want all outgoing ships checked out before they leave" ordered me John "Slow down jump clearances as much as you can. Say we're having mechanical problems"

"That they'll believe" I said snorting

"If you'll show Agent Cranston and his people to their quarters, I'll get Mr. Garibaldi moving on the search" added John before I left

"Captain, thank you. We appreciate your cooperation" concluded Cranston before following me out. "Commander, we have your file and we know you are a great asset to the Force" he said eyeing me carefully "I would like to know your take on the search… what would you suggest us to do? You ought to know this place inside out for sure"

I nodded and pondered for a moment before answering his question "It is true that I know the station pretty well, comes with the territory. What you have in mind for the search would work out easily if we were on board a ship, however B5 is 5 miles long and as you are well aware, has different levels all along. Your approach on the station will take months." I told him truthfully, though still wary about the search of the civilian.

"Thank you for your input Commander" he said as we reached his quarters.

Later I learned from Zack that he took into consideration my argument on the search. Apparently Zack had mentioned the same thing regarding how long it would take to finish sweeping all through the station and Cranston had come up with the solution of using some sort of scanners designed to detect specific signatures to all presidential staff, apparently they all had undergone a procedure to get it done in order to avoid kidnappings.

As was to be expected, the ships' captains, crew and passengers were far from happy due to the delays I was running through the traffic in order to search said ships before departures for any signs of Jacobs… so it was not a surprise that Talia came with lunch to the Dome when I canceled our date and explained that I was stuck at CnC due to traffic jam.

"I see you're still trying to get me fatter" I teased as soon I saw the contents of my lunch, earning a chuckle from my mate

"The fact that Dr. Franklin took you off your diet, does not mean I will stop making sure you eat healthy on a regular basis"

"How is this healthy?" I asked pointing to the burger in my hand

"It has all the required elements of a healthy meal. Iron, proteins, vitamins" she said pointing to each element conforming the burger

"Sheridan to Ivanova" came through my link on that moment "meet me in my quarters in 10 minutes… you're gonna love this" he ended the link before giving me a chance to reply

I sighed looking apologetically at Talia and our untouched lunch.

"Take it with you" she conceded with a sigh of her own "you need to eat, and you can share with the Captain" she said handing me the second burger

"You sure? You have not eaten yet either"

"I'll get to that now… see you tonight?" she asked me hopefully

"Don't know yet" I confessed packing lunch and walking out with her "But I'll do everything within my power to…" I told her when we reached the turbolift.

I should have guessed that when John said I was gonna love that, I was not completely gonna hate it… it gave me and my pack a chance to vent, sort of.

Turns out that the Captain's benefactors back home, had discovered a plot from President Clark to have Dr. Jacobs killed in an 'accident' due to the fact that he knew that Clark was not sick at all when he unboarded Earthforce 1 in Mars before it headed to IO, because he was planning to kill president Santiago. And now John had been asked to find, rescue and safely get off the station Dr. Jacobs, which is the reason he contacted me and asked me to do just that as discreetly as possible.

I ended up calling Maher and Dimitri to come with me and track down this guy. I only hated the fact that I had to go 'incognito', which obviously meant no uniform. Maher was doubtful about the whole situation, he said it seemed too elaborate to be truth, and even when I conceded he may be right, I still owed it to John to help this guy out.

Zack let us know that they had received a bleep on the scans in brown 2, and that they had had to report it to Garibaldi, which prompted him to start his own hunt. So we would have to be careful not to bump into Garibaldi and his men, at least until John managed to distract them from course.

Maher and I were a few feet away from a small security detail when our distraction came. We heard Cranston through their links ordering them off to a complete absurd destination.

"Cranston here. Take the search team out of Downbelow for now. Check levels 50 and 51, between Blue and Grey Sectors. And post guards at all entrance and exits to Downbelow"

I chuckled at John's ingenuity, he had manage to talk Cranston into going into a wild gueese chase.

"What's there?" asked me Maher not understanding my reaction

"Nothing. Those levels have been sealed, welded shut actually, since the station went online. If Garibaldi goes along with that, it should give us about 5 to 6 hours… if he doesn't, then with luck we still have a couple of hours before they regroup here"

"Then lets hope that is enough" added Dimitri

We roamed all through downbelow for about 4 hours before we got any leads. Then we had a breakthrough on our search when Dimitri recognize a pocket watch that was being sold, as Jacob's. According to Dimitri, they had both given a couple of lectures at the same symposium a couple of years before Jacobs stopped teaching.

After a 'little' persuasion, the salesman gave us the information we needed to find Jacobs, who was being held hostage by a couple of lurkers, he was being watched by one by the time we got there. As soon as he recognized Dimitri, he told us that the other one, had the data crystal that he had with all the information on all the medical examinations he had performed on the president, turning that into evidence. I sent Dimitri and the Dr. away for his safety with instructions to meet at my office in Red Sesctor, and stayed back with Maher to recover that crystal. The lurker who had it, Max I think was his name, ended up giving us the crystal after a broken nose courtesy of Maher.

Once we had it and Jacobs secured, I changed into my uniform and headed back to John's office, where he was still discussing about the operation behind this search with Cranston.

"Captain, we've run into a crisis. Dimitri needs to see you as soon as possible" I said interrupting their argument, while letting John know at the same time that we had successfully retrieved Jacobs.

"If you'll excuse me Mr. Cranston, this will only take a moment" said John standing and leaving his office

"Very well… perhaps you can answer my question" addressed me Cranston "I want to know why I was not told about the internal scanners before. And how long will it take to interface it with our system, now that I do know."

"A, you didn't ask" I told him nonplused "B, we don't know if the systems are compatible. C, assuming they are, 2 maybe 3 hours. D, at an early age someone should've told you, you can attract a lot more of flies with honey, than with vinegar, sir."

In the end, since Cranston and his people were about to have their scanners linked into our systems, and they had covered almost all the docking bays, John was able to talk Kosh into helping us to conceal Dr. Jacobs in his own ship.

"Internal scanner are now configured with yours" I informed Cranston, and the Captain, at the Dome once that was ready

"Just double check the interface to sure it is working" order Cranston to one of his men, clearly not trusting us

"Ambassador Kosh is requesting permission to depart" informed us Lt. JG Corwin

"Tell him to wait" ordered John "Begin scan"

"Scanning complete" informed us the artificial voice of the computer "Subject not found" it added forcing me to hide my smirk.

"What? That's impossible" ranted Cranston "Are you sure the interface is working properly?"

"Five by five" I informed him while he walked down to Corwin's station at the Dome "It's reaching every level at full strength. The only reason he wouldn't show up is if he isn't here"

"Mr. Cranston I took you at your word that Dr. Jacobs was here." said John convincingly playing the role of upset Captain "If you've turned my entire station upside down…"

"Ambassador Kosh again requests…- started Corwin interrupting John's rant, though he could not finish his sentence

"Fine fine, tell him he can go" I told him seriously

"I don't understand it" continued then Cranston. "Our best information said that he was coming here. And the man who tried to sell the information…"

"Around here" started John in a condenscending tone "If you offer to pay for something or someone, you'll get 10 people claiming to have it. They try to scam you out of money"

"Kosh ready for jumpgate sequence" informed Corwin

"Ok, tell him he can" I Started, only to be interrupted by Cranston himself

"Just wait a minute. I was not informed about a launch" he said upset, after all he had his people at 'all' the docking bays

"The Vorlon ambassador's ship is in Bay 13. No one goes there except him" explained John

"I want the ship scanned before it's allowed to jump" demanded Cranston

"Maybe you didn't hear me, that is and Amabassadorial vessel" tried John

"He won't know" stubbornly continued Cranston, again reminding me of Bester, hence again making me grunt in order to contain a growl. "I want it scanned, now, that shouldn't be a problem for you captain, if there's nothing to hide…"

"Initiate scan" relented John without breaking eye contact with Cranston

"Computer, analyze vorlon ship. Are there any life forms present?"

"Confirmed" came the computer reply "One life form detected"

"is it human" asked Cranston to the computer

"Negative, registering non-human life form" replied the computer

"Maybe we can call it back." Started John in a light mocking tone "Escort Ambassador Kosh off his own ship and search it, even if it does mean violation Vorlon Territory… I mean, I'm up for it if you are" challenged John "I am sure it would cause a major diplomatic incident without cause. It would be all over the news, with everyone wanting to know why I did it. But still, I'm"

"No, no, it's alright, let it go" said Cranston stopping John's rant

"Commander Ivanova" started John as soon as Kosh's ship went through the Jumpgate. "Now that it has been established that Dr. Jacobs is not, and never has been on Babylon 5, we should do all we can to help out Agent Cranston. Backtrack from Jacob's last know position" he continued as if pondering how to actually help find Jacobs "Determine which other ships he might have boarded. Give him their destinations, ETAs, anything he wants" then he turned to address Cranston "Mr Cranston, now that you've turned my station upside down with this wild-goose chase, I expect you'll be leaving us as soon as you have Ivanova's report"

Cranston hesitated for a moment, but after considering he nodded and he and his aide left CnC. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" I asked John, amused myself

"Commander, how could you even suggest such a thing?"

"A foolish thought" I added when I saw him smirking

"Well, I'll forgive it this time"

Once Koshe's ship came back, Dimitri, John and myself met up with Stephen and headed to bay 13.

"So what do we do now?" I asked John when we stopped in front of the Vorlon ship

"He said wait until it recognizes us" said John

"How does it know?" asked then Franklin

"The same reason our scanner indicated one alien life form when Kosh wasn't around." I told them "It's what we've suspected all along but could never prove"

"The Vorlons use organic technology" added John amazed by that "It is a living ship. Conscious. Aware." at that affirmation, the ship gave us a pod, which after a few seconds disappeared leaving only Jacobs in its place.

"This should bring him out of the artificial coma anytime now" said Stephen when both him and Dimitri crouched down to assist Jacobs

"I hated to do it" said Dimitri "But it is the only way Kosh would allow a human inside his ship is in an unconscious state" he informed John and myself a moment before Jacobs started to grunt regaining consciousness.

"Dr. Jacobs, are you alright?" asked John helping him up

"Yes yes, fine. It is strange, while I was asleep, it sang to me" said Jacobs staring at the ship

It was late when I finally made it to Talia's quarters, she was already asleep and I debated wether or not to just crawl in bed with her or just leave to my own quarters. But in the end I was not only tired but craving her scent so I just gave in and curled behind her.

"sorry I couldn't wait for you" she mumbled curling herself into me

"I love you Talia" I told her placing a kiss on her nape before falling asleep myself.

* * *

**A/N**_: Hello! Anybody still reading this?_

_I am deeply sorry about the time between last chapter and this one… I know 3 years absent is a lot… so if any of you are still here, thank you for sticking with me. I hope I get to update sooner, waaaay sooner than this time… my job now leaves me little to no time, but I will make an active effort to try and update at least once every couple of months… yes, I know that does not sound promising but take into account that I only have one day off a week in order to do everything I have to (including and not limited to laundry, cleaning and of course making sure I make contact with family, or else they will send a search party)_

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination even if I don't immediately get to it. _


	30. Chapter 30

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 30 (56)**_

_**Healer**_

The day the Captain informed me that we would be receiving an ISN group on the station to be doing an special program on how was life on board of B5 on a day to day basis, I was not expecting them to arrive and start shooting the same day; nor was I expecting to be confronted once again with a Boom situation, though I should have, after all, we were on Babylon 5 and as the saying goes, to survive there you had to always, expect the unexpected.

So, on November 2259, as Cynthia Torqueman and her crew were arriving to the station, still waiting for confirmation on which docking bay to approach, a Narn vessel crew decided to open fire, without apparent warning, on a Centauri one, right there, on our neutral territory, placing us in a really tough situation. War between Narn and Centauri kept escalating, and even the so called minor conflicts on board the station were getting out of hand; to the point that even the Drazi were reluctant to stop the arguments/fights unless directly involved with them or their business, which I had to agree with, otherwise we risked getting the Drazi involved in the war.

It was no surprise that the first footage that Torqueman used on the special program when finally broadcasted on ISN was precisely of that. How as they were on final approach to B5, the whole thing went "Boom". It was also not surprising to find her and her crew shooting at the central docking area that was being used as emergency center for the dead and wounded before being transferred to the medlab facilities on board the statation, which were already cramped and running beyond maximum capacity. Between Franklin and Dimitri did an amazing job at directing the logistics of transfers and treatments needed after the explosion.

So, as John headed down to get an update, I was left on the bridge to take care as usual of CnC and to dispatch a fighter wing to apprehend the Narn, who as was also expected, were not happy about, though I have to say, I was impressed by them being so smug about the whole situation.

"Was it that terrible?" asked me Talia during lunch after a few minutes of silence and/or getting only monosyllables out of me when trying to take my mind off of the situation at hand.

"Not more so than the regular boom" I told her honestly. "Sorry" I added after a moment. "I know I'm not the best company right now"

"Shush, you always are the best company, at least to me" she said interrupting me "but you've been more stoic than usual, even more so than when I started courting you" she added smirking.

I had to chuckle at that. "It's just something that was reported to me by the pack. Ambassador G'Kar mentioned a far greater danger than we could possibly imagine, while he was interviewed by Ms. Torqueman earlier today."

"you think he is talking about the ancient enemy in his books?" she asked me pondering about it

"I believe he is" I said after a moment "It all points out to that. Before the war between his people and the Centari was declared, and even before the dead of President Santiago, he was going on about something dark and dark forces"

"Do you want to confront him about it?"

"Not yet"

As it turned out, the official Narn statement was that the Centauri vessel was transporting weapons that would be used against them in the war, and that was the reason of the attack. Obviously the Centauri denied the claim.

One thing I found amusing during this whole thing, was when Ms Torqueman decided to interview the bridge crew. I was the first to be interviewed and the the rest of the CnC staff were.

"Who are the people who run Babylon 5?" she started her shooting with that question, while pacing the CnC as if she owned it. "And what do they do here? What are their hopes and dreams?" she rhetorically asked as she approached me "I'm standing here in what's called the Observation Dome, or CnC, short for Command and Control. When the Captain is otherwise engaged with diplomatic or business affairs, this place is under the watchful eye of it's perky and energetic Commander Susan Ivanova" she said finally reaching my station.

"All right, make one more sweep" I ordered the fighter wings outside "pulling in whatever you got, then head for the barn"

"Commander Ivanova, would you tell us what you're doing here?"

"Investigating Ambassador's G'Kar's allegations that the Centauri transport was carrying weapons, justifying his government's attack" I stated "The HAZMAT team is checking the debris for unusual levels of radiation, or trace elements that could indicate unauthorized weapons" I explained

"While we wait for the analysis, would you tell us a little about yourself" she asked hopefully, so I nodded "How you got here?"

"Well, there's really not much to tell… I was born in the Russian Consortium, but spent most of my life at school abroad. Graduated from OTC 10 years ago"

"How did you come to join Earthforce?"

"After my brother Ganya was killed in the war, I felt that I had to try and finish what he started. But of course as my luck runs, the war was over before I saw any action."

"Now commander, I'm sure there's more to your story than that" she said hoping to get more information from me as Talia came into the Dome carrying take out for dinner.

"Yes" I said simply, after glancing at my mate for a moment and smiling down at Torquman. Who luckily at the moment, realized was not going to get much more from me.

Again, should have expected her to stalk Talia and corner her too in order to be interviewed. However at the time, Ms Torqueman continued with her interviews of the CnC staff. She of course was playing close attention to Talia's and mine interactions while I still waited for the results of the scans.

After Talia left, I was on my post, minding my own business, though of course multitasking to listen in what the crew thought and had to say, when Corwin was interviewed.

"Overall, I've found this to be a good working environment and a valuable experience. I've learned a lot being here" he said clearly nervous. If it was him being shy about the camera, or something else entirely, was not clear at the moment.

"And you've never felt that your safety has been compromised?" asked Torqueman

"No ma'am" answered Corwin without hesitation, which got me smiling,

"So this has been a positive experience for you? You enjoy working with everyone?"

"Yes" he answered after slightly glancing sideways. "It's a nice, pleasant environment. I don't think I've ever seen anyone get upset here"

"So, you've never seen me upset?" I asked him as soon as Torqueman and her crew left the observation dome.

"I learned the B5 mantra ma'am. Ivanova is always right" he added smiling and resuming his duties.

About an hour or so after that, while Mr Garibaldi was being interviewed, I had to inform him that we had received the HAZMAT report and that did represent a situation, a problem if you will. So a meeting was adjourned at the council chambers the next morning as early as possible. I had to be there as Drazi leader, and leave the CnC to Corwin for the time being.

"And now thanks to Commander Ivanova's investigation, we have proof of what we've been saying all along" was G'Kar's opening statement. "An inspection of the destroyed Centauri vessel has found conclusive proof that she was carrying fusion bombs, and support equipment for ion cannons, mass drivers, and heavy energy weapons!" he continued, causing an uproar in the League.

The called to order before addressing the situation "We have already filed a complaint with the Centauri government on the grounds that Babylon 5 is neutral territory and is not to be used as a staging ground or a munitions depot"

"If I may make an observation…" started a brooding Ambassador Mollari, being interrupted by the Captain.

"It is this kind of irresponsible activity, ambassador, that endangers this station and everyone here!" said firmly the Captain

"Classified shipments are transferred outside the station ship to ship" started again Mollari, finally standing up "The risk to Babylon 5 is minimal" he told John taking his seat again

"Oh we've already seen your minimal risk ambassador" continued the Captain

"Caused by their attack on one of our vessels" Defended himself Mollari pointing fingers at G'Kar. "Our ships have the right to carry any cargo they choose! We will not surrender our Sovereign Rights"

"The Sovereign Rights of any race end when they threaten innocence" interceded Delenn

"ENOUGH!" demanded Mollari, clearly feeling cornered and out of options.

"They're doing what they always do! Using details to distract us from doing what must be done!" said now G'Kar even more upset than when he began the meeting. "There are seven more Centauri Vessels berthed outside and I berthed outside and I have reason to believe they also carry weapons of mass destruction to be used against our people"

I knew that it was a possibility, so it was no surprise what G'Kar asked next. "My government demands that these ships be impounded and their weapons seized" I knew Londo would not agree even before G'Kar finished his demand.

"No, No, No! We will not allow this!" started to argue back Londo

"This is Babyolon 5 space, and here we have Sovereign Rights" Intervened the Captain.

"Our ships will defend themselves against any who try to seize them!"

"Perhaps if the transport return to Centauri space…" started Delenn trying to offer a solution, which was immediately shut down by Ambassador G'Kar

"No! We cannot allow those ships to leave with their weapons, they'll just turn right around and use them against us!"

"Then how do you intend to-" tried to argue back John when we suffered a power surge "What the hell?"

Immediately the screen on the side turn on and Corwin appeared looking paler than usual. "Captain, Commander… we need you at CnC" he said urgently "We have a shooting war going on out here" he said still pale and clearly worried which prompted me to leave before the Captain even had a chance to say anything else.

Just as Corwin had said, the Centauri and Narn vessels were firing back and forth to each other, without any care of the other transports in B5 space, or the station itself. As soon as I arrived to the Dome I issued the official order to evacuate the civilians on board to the shelters getting us effectively into Priority 1 alert. I applauded Corwin's pro-activity and decision making, seeing as also as soon as I arrived I realized he had scrambled already the fighter pilots.

"Damage report!" ordered John as soon as he arrived. Quite a few minutes after me.

"Levels Brown 90 through 92 report damage" I started reading the information on the console in front of me, while also catching up on that myself. "Hull breach in Blue 70. Dropping pressure doors" I added addressing that particular issue

"Get a repair crew down there as soon as possible" ordered John barely acknowledging the response that the Ensign he addressed gave him "Any reply yet?" he asked me

"Negative. Hostile forces continue to fire. They started targeting our ships"

"Delta squadron requesting permission to fire" said Corwin out loud.

"Ambassadors Londo and G'Kar are saying if we open fire they'll consider it an act of war" I told John seriously. I could see he was even more frustrated than I felt myself.

"We have a quarter million people here to defend" he said grimly "If they don't stop this, we will." He said right before opening a channel "All fighters, open fire. Fire at will"

"Roger Babylon Control" was the response we got through the link. Luckily Warren made the right call as CAG asking his squads to target engines and navigational control if possible.

"Two Narn vessels destroyed" I informed John as I received the information on my station. "Two damaged and out of the fight. The Centauri vessels are offering to surrender"

"All right. Pick them up. Bring them in. And throw them in the brig. And want every one of those ships scanned for weapons. And tell Ambassadors G'Kar and Londo I want to see them now"

"What if they refuse?" I asked wary of his response given the fact that we were being recorded at the time.

"Then you can throw them in…" I cleared my throat and slightly nodded my head towards the camera crew of ISN in order for him to rephrase "Then invite them again as firmly and as politely as you can. This nonsense has gone far enough" he said walking away.

I proceeded then to do as he asked with no results so far. I was glad when the ISN crew left to shoot the arrival of the Narn and Centauri that were now in our custody. I took a moment to for lunch with Talia glad that she was safe for the time being though still worried about everything else.

"You think you'll make it for dinner tonight?" she asked hopefully though I had to sadly shake my head. At the pace that this was developing, it was gonna take a miracle to make everything over in time for dinner. I saw her dejected face at that. We had already cancelled a couple of dinner dates and were only seeing each other briefly through the day. As it was, it was again her the one that was making the time to come to me.

"I do not know what time I will be free" I told her cupping her face with my right hand. She immediately leaned into my touch, which made me smile fondly at her. "But if you wish, you can take full advantage of the shower in my quarters until I am back"

Other than the time her quarters had a problem with the air recycle system, this was the first time I offered her to stay at my place without me being there. I am glad I did, because the moment I did, her eyes filled with glee. We both knew this meant another step in our relationship.

Ms Torqueman and her crew came back to the dome as Talia was leaving. It angered me a little the smirk on Ms Torqueman when she eyed Talia as they crossed each other.

"Both sides way the same thing" started Cynthia as soon as her crew were ready and started shooting. "but as we've just seen, the reality is anything but peaceful. With the skirmish outside concluded and the captured Centauri vessels about to undergo a search, things seem to have calmed down…" she was interrupted by the proximity alarm on our system

"What is it?" I asked Corwin alarmed myself.

"Jump point in Sector 7"

"Are they crazy? That is practically on top of us!"

"Reading one Centauri battle cruiser" And truth to his word, the battle cruiser came out from the jump point only a few hundred meters away from us. "I've got Ambassador Centauri on the link"

"Put him through" I ordered as calmly as possible. "Ambassador Molari, what the hell is going on here?" I demanded as soon I saw his face on the comlink screen.

"I am sorry this has come as such a surprise Commander, but I warned you not to interfere" he said arrogantly "You have no right to search or detain our ships. If we don't act in our own defense, we invite the same from others"

"Centauri curiser is arming weapons, opening gun ports" informed me Corwin

"The cruiser will blockade Babylon 5 until our ships are returned to Centaury custody intact and unopened." Explained Londo "Any ship, attempting to enter or leave Babylon 5 will be fired upon, boarded and sent back. We will use the minimum possible level of force, but if provoked we are prepared to use deadly force, even against Babylon 5 itself"

Captain Sheridan had to video conference with Earth Dome for several hours before a final decision was made regarding the Centauri cruiser, for starters, Earth Alliance did not want to go to war with the first race of space we made contact with. But finally Earth Dome agreed to what the Captain had suggested. Maybe it was because Cynthia Torqueman was still on board, just a few hours away to concluding her 36 hours authorization.

"Captain John Sheridan, Babylon 5, to Centauri Cruiser" started John not even paying mind to the ISN crew present at the Dome. "My Government has rejected your demand that we release your ships. We will not consider any demand made under terrorist threat." He gave me a pointed look which told me what was coming next, so I complied with his silent order. "We have activated our defense grid and are prepared to defend all ships coming through here. Any hostile action taken by you against ships entering or leaving this station will be considered an attack on Babylon 5 itself and we will respond accordingly" he closed the link to the Cruiser as John kept addressing us and I walked to stand by his side "If they send back a reply, don't acknowledge it"

"Aye Captain" answered Corwin promptly

"We'll let them sweat for a while" said John not really convinced

"I hope this works" I told him then truthfully "I know that the new defense grid can probably hold them off , but the repercussions…"

"They're bluffing" said serenely John earning an incredulous stare from me "I can't believe they'd take on the whole station. No, that'd bring Earth on the side of Narns and the last thing the Centauri want is a war on two fronts"

"Docking bay 9 just linked in" informed us Corwin "The transport's ready to go"

"Bring her up. Activate the autopilot. We'll run the transport from here" ordered John. "We'll make sure no one gets hurt. Just in case they're not bluffing"

"Bring the maintenance bots around for a closer look" I ordered hoping John was right about the Centauri being bluffing. "You do realize if they attack the transport they'll turn around and fire us next, figuring we'll have to retaliate" I told John in truth Russian form, cataloguing the extent of our stupidity

"I know. All tracking stations. If you see their weapons targeting us, open fire" ordered John as the transport approached the cruiser. "Any reply from the Cruiser?"

"Negative Sir, no response"

"Their weapons system is still on" I informed him. "I don't like this" There was a long moment of tension in the Dome while we all tracked the path of the transport, until it finally passed by the Centauri Cruiser. "The transport's through, we called their bluff" I said honestly happy that John had been right"

"Getting a signal from the Centauri Cruiser" informed Corwin as I left John's side to manage my post "They want to talk"

"Open a channel, lets be gracious about this"

"Captain, any thoughts on the-?" Started Torqueman only to be interrupted once again by a proximity alert.

"Second jump point forming in Sector 10" said surprised an Ensign as a Narn Cruiser came out

"Babylon Control to Narn Cruiser, we do not, repeat, do not require assistance" Stressed John hoping against hope the Narn would back off "Do not interfere! We have the situation under control"

"Narn Cruiser powering up weapons systems" informed Corwin interrupting the Captain.

"No! Listen to me!" Ordered John into through the open link "We do not need-" this time he was interrupted by firing outside the Station. The Narn fired upon the Centauri, making them turn and fire to them "All civilians, to the shelters" ordered John then while we all at the Dome took on our emergency posts "Get me that Cruiser, I don't care how you do it"

As the firing continued out it came a point where a "lost" plasma torpedo came directly at us, giving me just enough time to order the closing of the blast doors, preventing a worse damage than the few fried systems we got due to the impact, though for a moment I did not think the blast doors would close in time.

"Narns have destroyed the Centauri Cruiser, they're trying to open a Jump Point" stated Corwin

"Can they make it?" I asked worried for the Narns. They had sustained considerable damage

"I don't think so. They're hit bad" said Corwin voicing my thoughts. "Jump Engines are malfunctioning"

And sadly we were right. The Narn Cruiser blew up as it neared the Jump Point they had opened. Then, after the crisis was over, the debris cleared and the bodies counted, with just an hour to spare, the ISN crew came to all of us again, asking one more question, the most important one given the circumstances.

"Given the danger, at the end of the day, is it worth it?"

When she asked me that, I thought about my mate, hopefully waiting for me in my quarters, then of course Talia had a knack to do exactly the opposite of what I expected from her and decided to show up that precise moment at the dome. I looked at her and approached her as Ms Torqueman and her crew followed. Once at her side I took her hand in mine intertwining our fingers before finally answered the question to the camera.

"Yes. Every second. Not only because is our duty, but because we care" I said before pulling my mate with me heading towards home. "Did you get bored waiting" I asked amused

"Civilians were evacuated, so after they let us go, I decided to come get you, otherwise I think you would not have ended your shift at all" she said smirking and tightening her hold of our hands.

A few weeks later, on December16, the special program came on air, and I have to concede it was not half as bad as I would have expected.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok… filler chapter that ironically took forever to come out. But as promised, one chapter every two months. I'm still within range of that._

_I will try to update again before Christmas, though know that it that does not happen, I will have to break my promise and come back next Year, sometime in January..._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	31. Chapter 31

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 31 (57)**_

_**Healer**_

I had had an awful workload that week with Ambassador Kosh. Well, maybe not awful, but certainly tiring and unexpected. I knew that he was only tossing random business here and there for my sake in the sense of that being the only possible way for me to stay on board the station, as was agreed with Mr. Bester on his last visit. However it always drained me whenever he was around those meetings.

I was back at my quarters waiting to hear from Susan, for our date. When I received the encoded message of Mr. Bester, in which he informed me that there was something going on aboard the station, and he needed me to keep an eye out for any weird behavior coming from the commanding staff. He said as a reward for my continued service to the Corps, he had delayed the arrival of the new Commercial Telepath to the station, for a couple more weeks.

I could not bring myself to tell Susan about it when she arrived, because she looked tired and worried. I did not want to burden her with more things to stress about.

"What is it my love?" I finally asked her when we went to bed.

"What you mean?" she asked while nuzzling into my neck.

"Whatever is troubling you today, of course" I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole universe.

"I just wished we could go a week on the station without a boom situation" she said after a moment. Making me worry in turn, because if she described the situation as a boom situation, it meant big trouble on board. "we received orders today that trouble me a little. I am not allowed to discuss this openly with you or anyone else because it's military" she added no doubt looking at my worried face

I stared at her for a moment, debating whether or not to ask for more information, or to inform her at least that Psi Corps might be involved, seeing as the transmission I received from Bester had been that same day. The situations might have been related, or not related at all. So I just settle to not add to her worries for the time being. "Just be careful Susan" I asked from her just before we settled to sleep.

Next day, Kosh informed me that as part of my particular and exclusive services to him, I was to start lessons with him along with Captain Sheridan. But that for operational reasons regarding the station, Captain Sheridan would not be joining us at the time.

My first official lesson with Kosh, was filled with breathing exercises. He said to help focus, because my gift kept growing and if I did not learn to completely control it, then chaos would follow and Control would be lost in the coming war.

By lunch time, I was eager to tell Susan about it. Maybe she should have joined the lessons too. Though I doubt she would have agreed to that at the time. Specially considering that whatever was going onboard, had her cancelling our lunch date again.

"I see you're still trying to get me fatter" she commented as soon as she realized that I had brought lunch to her again.

"The fact that Dr. Franklin took you off your diet, does not mean I will stop making sure you eat healthy on a regular basis" I told her chuckling at her reaction

"How is this healthy?" she asked in complete disbelief pointing at the burger in her hand

"It has all the required elements of a healthy meal. Iron, proteins, vitamins" I pointed out

"Sheridan to Ivanova" came through her link interrupting our banter. "meet me in my quarters in 10 minutes… you're gonna love this" Susan just looked apologetically at me so I sighed and nodded.

"Take it with you" I told her. "you need to eat, and you can share with the Captain" I told her offering my own untouched burger

"You sure? You have not eaten yet either" she asked concerned.

"I'll get to that now… see you tonight?" I couldn't help the need in my voice. Being apart from her for long periods of time, really unsettled me

"Don't know yet" she said truthfully while walking out with me, for her to head into the Captains quarters. "But I'll do everything within my power to…"

Turns out, that what Susan was keeping from me, was indeed related to what Mr Bester wanted me to spy on for him. Of course I learned this later and not at the moment, but the situation at hand was that someone had discovered a plot from President Clark to have Dr. Jacobs killed in an 'accident' due to the fact that he knew that Clark was not sick at all when he unboarded Earthforce 1 in Mars before it headed to IO for New Year, because he was planning to kill president Santiago. And now Captain Sheridan had been asked to find, rescue and safely get off the station Dr. Jacobs.

I was with Ambassador Kosh when Captain Sheridan asked for his help. When the Captain explained the situation, I understood the stress Susan had been on, and realized it had been for the first time, a good idea to keep my worries about Bester to myself for now. Of course I would tell her later on, as soon as that particular 'boom' was solved.

The Captain's plan was simple, though it took a lot of persuasion from him in order to talk Kosh into agreeing to hide a human runaway inside his ship.

We confirmed that day, that the Vorlons use organic technology and that their ships are sentient, or at least the ships are aware of their surroundings. That might be the reason that Vorlons seem so in tune with life and the universe. They cherish life above all.

I waited awake for Susan to come as long as I could in order to tell her about Bester, but I was drained and ended up falling asleep.

"sorry I couldn't wait for you" I mumbled curling closer to her when I felt her, but I soon fell back asleep

On September that year, we had still not received the new Commercial Telepath that Psi Corps was supposed to have sent, though we still had a couple more months before the year ended. So even though I had an exclusivity clause in my contract to Ambassador Kosh, I was still allowed and expected to perform as B5's commercial Telepath if anyone on board required Telepath Services.

I was at the end of a relative easy meeting between two trading aliens, that were able to set on a fair trade for both of them, when I heard it. The explosion caused by what I later learned, was a Narn ship firing to a Centauri Ship.

Lunch with Susan that day was silent and uncomfortable. "Was it that terrible?" I finally asked when I could not take the silence anymore.

"Not more so than the regular boom" she said honestly. "Sorry" was added after a moment. "I know I'm not the best company right now"

"Shush, you always are the best company, at least to me" I told her interrupting her rant. "but you've been more stoic than usual, even more so than when I started courting you"

She chuckled but soon sobered up "It's just something that was reported to me by the pack. Ambassador G'Kar mentioned a far greater danger than we could possibly imagine, while he was interviewed by Ms. Torqueman earlier today."

"you think he is talking about the ancient enemy in his books?" I asked her after a moment of consideration

"I believe he is" she said after a moment "It all points out to that. Before the war between his people and the Centari was declared, and even before the dead of President Santiago, he was going on about something dark and dark forces"

"Do you want to confront him about it?"

"Not yet"

Maybe we should have asked G'Kar about that, maybe we should have let the Captain know about it in advance, maybe we should have confronted Kosh about his riddles and maybe we would have been better prepared for what came. But truth is, we refused to accept complete darkness and defeat was looming above us.

I was not prepared for the ISN staff to still be around the Dome when I brought dinner for Susan. And I know we should have been prepared for the lead Interviewer to come find me as soon as she saw my interaction with Susan that night.

It was a long night for everyone on the station, seeing as Susan's investigation proved that the Centauri were indeed carrying weapons. Then, while the council was in session, a full out battle started outside the station, Narn and Centauri vessels were firing at each other, right there on B5's territory, putting the whole station at risk. In the end, the Captain was able to sort things out, at least temporarily with the reluctant help of Ambassadors G'Kar and Mollari.

Almost no one on the station was able to get peaceful sleep that day, but by lunch time things were starting to look better.

"You think you'll make it for dinner tonight?" I asked Susan at the dome when I went over to make sure she had lunch. She just shook her head and it pained me.

"I do not know what time I will be free" she said cupping my face. "But if you wish, you can take full advantage of the shower in my quarters until I am back" I felt like joy was exploding from within me at her suggestion

Other than the time my quarters had a problem with the air recycle system, this was the first time she offered me to stay at her place without her being there. We both knew this meant another step in our relationship.

Ms Torqueman and her ISN crew came back to the dome as I was leaving. It worried me a little the smirk on her face when we crossed each other. It wasn't until later that day, when I was finishing a meeting as was headed towards Susan's quarters, that Ms. Torqueman finally approached me for an interview.

"Mr. Bester speaks highly of you Ms Winters" she started. And it made my blood run cold. What was her relation to the Corps? What did the Corps want with a news reporter?

I honestly do not remember the interview itself. Just one questions remains in my mind.

"Given the danger, at the end of the day, is it worth it?"

I was not even able to answer that one, because a station wide alert was emitted and civilians had to be evacuated to the shelters. So as I headed to the closest shelter, I realized Ms Torqueman would be heading to the Dome to get more footage on the situation.

By the end of whatever was going on outside the station, they let the civilians go and I headed towards the Dome myself, in search of Susan. Who was still talking to Ms Torqueman, however, she approached me as soon as she saw me, then she intertwined our fingers and finally addressed the camera

"Yes. Every second. Not only because is our duty, but because we care" she said before pulling me heading towards home. "Did you get bored waiting"

"Civilians were evacuated, so after they let us go, I decided to come get you, otherwise I think you would not have ended your shift at all" I said smirking and tightening her hold of our hands.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok… so now we are caught up to the last chapter I had updated on the original fic file. _

_Next chapter will come within this coming week, _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	32. Chapter 32

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 32 (58)**_

_**Healer**_

By the first week of December, the Captain and I received an official memorandum from Psi Corps, stating that my replacement as a Commercial Telepath on board the station would be arriving by the last week of the same month. However in the meantime I was still tasked to perform as such. Which brought me to act then as liaison between an Earth Corporation and Mars negotiations.

It was a difficult position they were putting me in, especially because I personally knew the FutureCorps representative. Whom I was waiting for after Susan had left to join the Captain and brief him on the status of an Alien delegation to arrive.

I was admiring the décor in the assigned quarters for the negotiations when he arrived.

"Isogi-san" I greeted him truly happy to see him

"Talia, it's been too long" he stated engulfing me in a tight hug "What did you think of my Neo Mars proposal?"

"It's like all your proposals" I told him without a beat "too progressive, too risky and too costly in the long run" he just grunted at that, making me smirk before continuing "but if you can make it happen…"

"I must make it happen" he said confidently leading me to take a seat "FutureCorp has to expand beyond Earth, and Mars is the first step"

"The Senate won't like it" I started, knowing he already knew that "and the Mars Conglomerate will try to burry you"

"We're prepared for that, now I need only to convince Mars to share the risks"

"And if they won't?" I asked concerned. It was quite risky what he was proposing

"Then their path to freedom may well be drenched in blood, and a long held dream of mine will die"

Our conversation was cut short when the door chirped opening again and the Mars representative arrived

"Mr. Isogi? Amanda Carter" she said introducing herself and offering her hand to Taro. "Mars Colony Business Affair Committee"

"Ms Carter" he acknowledged before introducing me "Ms Talia Winters. One of the finest Commercial Telepaths I've ever worked with" Ms Carter looked at me clearly unimpressed and unhappy about my presence "She will be monitoring our negotiations for FutureCorp"

"I read your proposal Mr Isogi and frankly, you're either insane or a very brave man" she stated after a moment

"I can imagine that's what they said about your great-grandfather , when he volunteered to pilot the first colony ship to Mars" said Taro impressing both Ms Carter and myself

"So they did" she agreed chuckling. "Let's talk"

And so the negotiations started. My only duty on this negotiations, or any negotiations I was mediating as a Commercial Telepath, consisted in make sure none of the parties lied to the other, and that the party that hired me, was not taken advantage of by the other one. So in a case like this, when both parties had the same goal, and they just needed to agree on the 'proper' way to achieve it, it was easier for me to mediate.

Of course, no one was ready for how things developed and the 'boom' (as Susan would call it) developed due to those negotiations. You see, Taro Isogi was proposing a way for Mars to be Free and Independent from the Earth Aliance, not to be a Colony, but there was a cost and repercussions to that. Which were most likely not approved by Earth Alliance.

"Mars has resources the Alien worlds need. Now they in turn can supply and economic base which will enable the Colony to become self sufficient within 10 years" Explained Taro for the 3rd time to Ms Carter. "You can win your independence, without bloodshed" he added for the first time. I knew he truly believed in that. I could feel it in his words and his feelings in general. And at that point I could feel hope rising from within Ms Carter.

"It will be a hard sell with the Committee" she started giving in "They'll need concrete assurances from the alien worlds"

"Not entirely true" I said when Taro glanced at me waiting for confirmation "You're pretty sure the Committee will accept your recommendation, and you are the one that needs the assurance"

"Yes I do Ms Winters" She conceded immediately "Mars is being ripped apart at the seams right now; and before I bargain with its future I need to know what is expected from us"

"Naturally" added Taro without hesitation "That is one of the reasons I suggested Babylon 5 for this meeting. All our prospective partners have representatives here. We can iron out all the details to your satisfaction"

"You actually believe you can make this work?" she asked even more hopeful than before.

"No" stated Taro without hesitation "I believe, WE can try" and I knew with that it was a done deal. Just a matter of solving the paperwork.

"I'll speak with the business committee. I think I can have an answer for you by tomorrow afternoon" she said collecting her things and standing to leave.

"She likes the idea" I told Taro as soon as she left. "She has her doubts but basically she likes it"

"And you? Now that you've heard the details of my little plan, do you also have your doubts?"

"Frankly yes" I told him seriously "The financial risk is bad enough but the legal maneuvering will be even…" he just wouldn't let me finish my sentence. He put his hand up in a stop motion halting my train of thoughts.

"I want to hear them" he said smiling "Over dinner?"

"I'd love to" I agreed chuckling. "Give me just a moment to let Susan know I will be late"

"Susan?" he asked teasingly

"My fiancée, yes" I said smirking happy at the prospect of talking to her. She had departed early in the morning to arrange everything for the Captain and the Alien Delegation that was arriving. And I could not leave at lunch time because we were still wrapped up in this meeting.

"Ivanova" she said through the babcom system "Talia" she said smiling once she saw me "Everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything is alright. Negotiations went smoothly" I told her smiling "Just wanted to let you know I will go and have dinner with Isogi-San. Probably will be late"

She frowned for a moment but schooled her features back into her stoic mask "Be safe. See you tomorrow for breakfast as usual?"

"Of course" I told her smiling

She smiled back and ended the link

"When did that happen?" asked me Taro while we walked to Zocalo for dinner.

I launched into a short recap of my wooing of Susan and how in the end we were working it out. I could see he was genuinely happy for me and that made me even happier than I was.

By the end of our dinner, Taro had offered to walk me back to my quarters, while we kept chatting.

"I've never seen you so excited about a deal before"

"Well it's not just a deal Talia" He said getting hyped again just by talking about it. "It's a step into the future. Mars can be the beginning of a whole new life for the human species… as it was meant to be"

Then, out of nowhere a man stepped in front of us and with hatred in his eyes he said "Free Mars" before grabbing Taro by his neck and somehow shocking him incessantly. I tried to stop him but with his free hand he just pushed me away and I fell on the floor, unable to do anything to help Taro, or myself. The moment Taro fell unconscious to the floor, I knew he had not made it. And I grieved for him, however at the moment my grief had been put on hold because our attacker stalked over me, clearly wanting to dispatch me too and leave no witnesses. But somehow he broadcasted his thoughts and I had no choice but to pick the signal.

It was a mess inside his mind. But what was clear was that there was a fight on space and an explosion that ended it all. The moment the memory stopped, my attacker seemed less lucid and walked away. Giving me the chance to get to Taro and call for help.

I was at the Captain's office, with Susan sitting by my side, wrapping me in her arms, clearly wanting to protect me from everything.

"So you have no idea what the images you got from the killer meant?" asked me the Captain handing me a cup of water.

"No" I said taking the cup "It was all too quick. Just a blur of light and sound. Fighting ships and then the blackness"

"And all he said was 'free mars'?" asked me frustrated the Captain, earning a growl from Susan

"Yes, but…" I started rubbing Susan's thigh in order to calm her down. Her being upset was not helping me. "my first assignment was Mars Colony, I scanned several Free Mars people during that time. They are violent fanatics with a murderous hatred for Earth Alliance… but this man was different. There was no thought of cause in his head, no anger, no emotion of any kind. Just those images"

"So what reason would Free Mars have for killing your client?"

"None" I said sorrowful. Susan picked it up immediately because she tightened her hold on me "Taro's proposal was a peaceful solution to the Mars problem"

"Earth Central feels differently" said the Captain. "They believe he was going to back up another rebellion on Mars.

"Taro hated the violence on Mars" I said standing and starting to pace the room "He would never had done such a thing. Someone's being lying to you Captain"

"Or to you" he interrupted offended. Causing Susan to jump in between both of us and growl menacing at the Captain. Who was smart enough to take a step back.

"I'm a telepath" I told him smugly taking Susan's hand in mine to ground us both

"Telepaths are human beings. You're and old friend of Isogi's" he said "You trusted him"

"With good reason" I interrupted him holding tight to Susan's hand "Taro Isogi spent his life improving the lives of others. He built a business based on that principle. He never broke a rule or harmed another to do it. Mars was his dream Captain" I said with tears rolling down my cheeks "Now he's been murdered for it, and you're trying to cast the blame on him"

"I'm sorry" finally relented the Captain while Susan rubbed soothing circles on my back

"I'm sorry too" I whispered. "I'm also tired and I hurt. May I go back to my quarters now?"

I saw he was about to protest. Probably wanting to wait for Mr Garibaldi to finally show up and perform his duties as Chief Security Officer and take my statement. However one growl from Susan directed at him, made the Captain stop again on his tracks and concede.

"I'll arrange for an escort" he said after a moment. Susan growled again clearly unhappy about everything. "Commander Ivanova, why don't you escort Ms Winters back to her quarters. You are relieved from duty until tomorrow 900 hours"

"You want to talk about it?" asked me Susan while we were on the turbolift

"Is this really necessary?" I asked her rhetorically.

"You know I worry about you. I feel a rage inside me right now knowing I wasn't there to protect you. And that someone you clearly loved deeply has passed away because I failed you" she said crestfallen once the turbolift stopped

I took her hand and in silence lead her to my quarters. Once inside I could not help myself anymore, and I cried like I had not cried since I thought she had died. She held me with such love and care that I cried harder into her neck. All while she was cooing in my ear, promising everything would be alright, that she would not let anything happen to me and that she would get the man who killed Taro.

"That won't bring him back" I told her in between sobs.

"It won't, but at least it will prevent him from killing anyone else" That night we held tighter to each other, just relishing in each other's presence.

Next morning, when Susan had to leave for station duties, she promised that in addition to the Security detail assigned to me by the Station protocol, she would send a couple of pack members to keep an eye on me, and to track down the one that had killed Taro. So it did take me by surprise the fact that I was attacked again. I was walking side by side with a security officer, when the killer came from behind us. I could not see Susan's pack members anywhere, but I sure hoped they were around and ready to leap. So while the killer was busy dispatching the man assigned to me by Mr Garibaldi, I made a run for the nearest public area. However I didn't make it that far before he caught up with me and held me against a wall, I tried to fight him over, to at least distract him while helped arrived. And like the last time, I caught a glimpse into his mind, though this time I could see that he had been victim of an explosion.

He stopped his attack and I ran again, this time bumping into Maher's worried face. I told him that the killer was just behind me, so he sent someone else on a hunt for him while he brought me back to the Captain's office.

"The images in his mind were the same as before except this time I saw an Earth Alliance ship" I said while pacing his office "A big one. A cruiser, I think. It was firing at him. And I know this sounds crazy but it hit him and he died"

"Died?" asked me incredulous the Captain

"It was as if he was relieving the thought of his death over and over again, clinging to it, as if it were the only thought he had"

"Captain, got an ID on our perp" said Mr Garibaldi coming in and starting to display an image on the screen from the data crystal he had just brought "I checked the DNA in the hair that Ms Winters pulled out. It's a positive. Take a look"

"That's him" I said relieved that at least we then knew who it was.

"It's Free mars alright, one of their leaders in fact" explained Garibaldi "his name is Abel Horn"

"Abel Horn" asked surprised the Captain

"you know him?"

"In a way" he said almost in a whisper "My wife Anna had some very special friends on Mars. They worked at the Rithchey Station. They were there when Free Mars blew it. Abel Horn claimed responsibility for it. I want him Mr Garibaldi"

"So do I but there's a… a problem" said Garibaldi "According to EarthForce intelligence, Abel Horn is dead. A cruiser crashed his ship over Phobos during the rebellion"

"Oh my God" I said when it dawned on me

"Is that what you saw on his mind?" asked me then the Captain

"Yes"

"Would someone tell me what the hell we're talking about?" demanded Garibaldi

"Later" said the Captain "Right now I want her in protective custody" he said pointing at me "and a fugitive alert posted on Horn"

"Done" said Garibaldi walking me out towards my quarters. "There's only one way in and I have a detail on it" he told me when we settled at my quarters "It'll take an army to get in. If you need to go somewhere, call the guard post and they'll assign an escort. Try to relax. Enjoy yourself. We'll take care of this guy."

"Mr Garibaldi… I was just going to make a cup of tea to soothe my nerves… while I wait for Susan." I told him hesitantly "Would you like one?"

"Well, since I am the chief of Security, seeing you're secure is my job" he said jokingly "And tea just happens to be my 3rd favorite thing in the universe." I could not stop the small chuckle that came with that comment. And I could only hope Susan would come soon and that no one in the pack got hurt while hunting down Taro's killer. In the meantime, I would have to keep my mind off of everything, hence me asking Mr Garibaldi to stay. His antics never failed to lighten the mood of any situation.

Garibaldi was telling me a story of her father, and I came to the realization that this man was trying to live up to his father legacy, in a weird sense he learned to cope with humor.

"Your father sounds like quite the character" I told him

"He was the best" he said reminiscing "He cooked like an angel, swore like the devil. And taught me everything about security. He could spot a crook a sector away and he was still hauling them in at 75… Then he got Torg's syndrome, and just kinda faded away. I sure miss him"

Then I decided to share a little bit of me with him. To this day I do not know if it helped or not, but at least we found common ground other than his unhealthy infatuation with me. "I never really knew my father, or my mother. I was raised by the Corps from the time I was Five… of course there was Abby…"

"Abby?" asked a curious Garibaldi

"She was my support during my first year at the center." I explained him "When telepaths first come in, they're assigned a senior telepath to guide them through the early stages of the program. The first day I was crying all the time, I was scared and confused and hurting. My parents had just passed away and I had lost the only friend I had up until that time." I told him remembering the wolf like creature that stayed with me that night in the woods. "And then Abby came. She held me for a very long time, never saying a word. I didn't know it then but she was scanning me, ever so gentle. And little by little the pain and fear and confusion melted and all that was left was this warmth safe place in my mind… it was wonderful. But the next year Abby was assigned to another new comer… I never felt like that again until I met Susan" I told him fondly. "She makes me feel like that again. Safe and warm and happy" I would have continued but his comlink chirped

"Garibaldi"

"Mr Garibaldi, please report to my quarters" was the order from Captain Sheridan

"On my way" said reluctantly Mr Garibaldi "Sorry"

"Mr Garibaldi" I called for him when he reached the threshold "Thank you"

"My pleasure Ms Winters"

Susan came by a little after that, but she decided she had a mission and that was to hunt down the man responsible for Taro's death and had jeopardize my safety. As soon as she left, I was contacted by Ms Carter, asking for a meeting in order to continue the negotiations even if Taro was dead. Which filled me with joy. At least his dream would not die with him. So with that in mind I headed out and bumped into Zach Allen, and told him about my meeting.

He of course was not completely agreeing, seeing as both Garibaldi and Susan had tasked him with my safety, so he decided to reach Garibaldi.

"Chief, Zach Allen. Ms Winters is requesting an escort for a business meeting in Red 7"

"With whom?" came the response through his link

"Amanda Carter" provided Zach

"That's a go Zach. Come through Red Alpha. I'll join you at Point 6"

"Are you not going to tell Susan too?" I asked amused at his antics while he, 2 more officers and I started to walk away

"Oh no. She must likely knows already. Besides. We have 3 tails on us. And if I am relieved by Mr Garibaldi, you'll have 4 tails on you. Ivanova would kill everyone in the station if you come close to harm's way again" he said shuddering at the thought.

"Ms Winters, it is not a good idea to be roaming the station" said Garibaldi as soon as he joined us

"I'm hardly roaming" I told him seriously

"No, I guess not" he agreed as soon as he glanced at the security detail he had assigned "So, what's up"

"Amanda Carter wants to pursue Taro's plan" I told him "I don't know if I can convince FutureCorp to go along, but if I could, it would be like a memorial for Taro"

"oh, they can kill a good man but not a good idea" said Garibaldi when we reached Amanda's quarters "Take your time. We'll be waiting right here"

"Hello" I said as I stepped in but saw no one around "Hello?" I repeated, now wary about the situation. So I walked to ensuite and found an unconscious Ms carter laying on the couch. I realized she had a wound on her cheek and on that precise moment, I was grabbed from behind me by Taro's killer.

"Make one sound and I'll kill you" he threatened. After a moment he pushed me to sit and started rambling on and on. "What am I? TELL ME!"

"I don't understand" I told him truthfully not understanding what he wanted from me

"You're a mind reader. You saw it in my head" he was desperate for answers that I could not really provide him "Tell me what it means!" he demanded forcefully grabbing my face with his hand "TELL ME!" I could only feel pain so I told him that "yes PAIN!" he then let go and asked me again to tell him. So I scanned him again and what we saw, was inhuman. They experimented on him. After the explosion on his fighter, his body was recovered and since part of his mind was still working, they rebuilt him and programmed him to be used. What troubled me the most was that there was a PsiCop there and she stated that he was theirs.

As I was telling him all that I saw, Mr. Garibaldi and the security detail posted outside barged in. Abel's reaction was to take me hostage.

"End of the road pal" said Garibaldi trying to maybe distract Abel "there's nowhere to go. Think about it" he said lowering his gun

"Can't think. Die when think" rambled Horn

"Okay Okay" said Garibaldi putting his hands up for Abel to see "Take it easy"

"drop the guns" demanded Abel, still with his electric charged hand close to my neck, holding me against him with his other hand "back off. DO IT!" Garibaldi nodded to his team and all four of them lowered their weapons. Abel still held me against him, but no more electric hand threatening me at the moment, even though he took Garibaldi's gun

"If you hurt her, I will see that you have a long and painful dead" said a growling voice from the threshold. Susan was there, completely pissed off and most likely ready to shift right there if Abel did not let me go soon.

Garibaldi turned to look at her and I could sense some sort of disappointment coming from him, but he turned his attention back to Abel and me, when Susan stepped by his side and Abel started to laugh.

"I'm already dead Ms crazy growl" said Abel without humor the same moment that Captain Sheridan arrived into the room

"No you aren't Horn" he stated while placing a hand on Susan's shoulder, no doubt to try and reel her in. "Listen to me. They are using you to betray your own world"

"How do you know this?" asked Abel skeptically

"You know it to Abel" said the Captain, still not letting go of Susan, who I could see was visibly shaking, and whose eyes, focuses on Abel were shifting from her lovely blue to red. "You feel the machine, crawling in your brain"

"Get out of my way" demanded Abel

"Let us help you" tried soothingly the Captain "that's all we wanna do"

"you let her go, and they'll help you" said Susan gritting her teeth

"You've died to many times Abel" continued the Captain "there's no need to die again" After a moment of hesitation, Abel let me go, and I ran straight into Susan's arms. Who engulfed me in a hug and buried her head in the crook of my neck. "good, now put the weapon down"

"It was the Earthers, wasn't it" asked Abel with a trembling voice "wasn't enough just to kill me?"

"We'll find out who it was, together" said the Captain. All while Susan was still clutching me tight to her "Just, put the gun down"

"Mars will never be free, until the sands run red with Earther blood" said Abel to Ms Carter, a moment before rising the weapon and shooting at us.

Susan turned me around putting me behind her as soon as she sensed the danger and everyone else scattered for their weapons. Captain's shot being the one that hit Abel squared on his chest

"thanks for ending it, earther" said Horn right before he died, again.

"Captain, I'm reading a dangerous energy surge from the body" said Zach leaning over Abel's body with a bio scanner

"I'm getting you out of here" said Susan taking me away

"Come on, everybody out" ordered the captain

Abel's body exploded as soon as we all rounded the corner of the aisle of the sector junction. We were all directed towards the med lab to make sure no major injuries were sustained before and after the explosion.

"I am very sorry Ms Winters" said Ms Carter as soon as she had been treated "Abel said you knew what was wrong with him and I was worried about it. I never thought he would try to harm you"

"But he did, and you too" said Susan in a menacing tone "you put her in danger, for nothing" She would have continued rambling and berating Ms Carter, but I stopped her and tugged her to my side. "How does a Mars Government representative know so much about a Free Mars terrorist?" she settled to ask

"Abel Horn wasn't always a terrorist" started Ms Carter looking at the Captain and Mr Garibaldi. "fifteen years ago he was a bright young man utterly devoted to independence for Mars Colony. That's when I met him" she paused and looked at Susan and me "Fell in love with him" she sighed "She convinced me to join Free Mars. It wasn't a radical group at the time. Later when they began to become violent, I left them" she then turned again towards the Captain "I never saw Abel again until today"

"Oh tell me another one" said mockingly Garibaldi

"You can have Ms Winters scan me if you think I'm lying. Besides I've already said enough to ruin my career"

"If we report it" said the Captain

"Are you proposing a deal Captain" asked Ms Carter as shocked as Garibaldi and Susan were

"You said that Taro Isogi's plan was the best hope for Mars. Did you mean that?"

"yes!"

"Well then continue to negotiate with FutureCorp" ordered the Captain "Make that happen" I couldn't help but smile, even though I still could feel Susan's reluctance to let Ms Carter go, we all knew that she has the best person to go through with Taro's plan.

"I doubt they'll be interested after what happened here" said Ms Carter

"I'll be glad to speak with them for you" I told her truthfully "I'll make it clear that your government had nothing to do with the murder. I'm sure they'll consider going ahead"

"Why?" asked still incredulous Ms Carter

"To make sure Taro Isogi's dream becomes a reality" started the Captain "and to keep you where you can do the most good"

"Thank you"

"We'll talk later" I told her hugging her briefly before heading out with Susan and the others.

"Captain" stopped Garibaldi "begging your pardon, but have you gone space happy?" he asked upset "That woman is an accessory to murder and attempted murder"

I could see Susan was about to agree with Garibaldi, which was not a good sign. So I took her hand in mine before addressing everyone else "Horn wasn't trying to kill me. He wanted me to scan him. There was something in his mind, controlling him. Something he wanted me to find"

"And did you" asked Susan concerned

"I saw an image. Some sort of operation"

"Did you recognize anything?! A location, face, uniform?!" asked agitated Mr Garibaldi, and I did not like that.

"No" I told him flatly and I knew by the way Susan's grip on my had shifted, that she knew I was lying.

"Ivanova, take Ms Winters to her quarters" ordered the Captain "I'll head to CnC to help Corwin move the traffic out"

"What did you really see?" asked me Susan once we were cuddling inside my quarters

"A Psi Cop" I told her serious "Two doctors with masks and a Psi Cop"

That night, Susan asked me to officially move in with her. She said that it had nothing to do with that day's events, however I know it shook her as much or more than me, the fact that I was in high danger and she had not been able to do anything about it. So this was her way to cope.

So, while Susan filled the paperwork needed for me to move in officially with her, to an officer's quarter, I ran a search of the Psi Cop that I had glimpsed in Horn's mind. It took a while, but I found a match, and it baffled me to see that like Horn, Earth's records showed her as deceased, and it troubled me it was that she did look oddly familiar.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok…so, a little longer than last one._

_Still, I have no words to describe how grateful I am you are all still here, real life is a real pain sometimes. Still, please let me know what you think._

_Sooo, next chapter, maybe will be up by the end of this month... I repeat, MAYBE... _

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


	33. Chapter 33

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 33 (59)**_

_**Healer**_

With the Centauri/Narn war escalating every single day, each transport arriving to Babylon 5, regardless of its origin, kept bringing Narn refugees. Captain Sheridan had given the order that those that were fit for travel would be immediately dispatched back to the Narn Homeworld, however he was being lenient with the injured, and letting them stay on board until they were healthy enough for travel.

That was a noble thing to do, and Susan was really proud of being serving under a commanding officer that valued life as much as Sheridan did, but she was also worried, because there were so many refugees swamping the medlab facilities that there was no room left for any other emergencies. And the Centauri on board were doing also everything in their powers to sabotage the Narn safety on the station.

Zach Allen had already asked Susan and Mr Garibaldi to talk the Captain into allowing less Narn on board, only critical cases. But he knew it was difficult to say no to them, once you saw how devastated they were at having lost everything they held dear, and having only partial health. They were proud people that had had to be humbled to the point of asking for sanctuary on board the Station just because it was on Neutral Territory, made it even more difficult for the Captain to deny them.

Susan had been working with the Drazi in order to have more eyes on the station still helping out. They had come to a point that even their daily matches/confrontations had been deemed not as important as keeping safe the place they lived at. They still held the confrontations, but it was now friendlier than when they had started. In the end, all of them had stopped wearing their color stashes around them, so there was no more distinction between Purple and Green, and that was all thanks to my Susan.

"John gave the order to separate the injured cases by priority" told me Susan while we were getting ready. She for her duties while I had a last minute meeting to attend. "Light cases get first aid only, and then loaded on the first ship out. Critical cases get taken to medlab"

"He's implementing Zach's suggestion" I told her pondering it for a moment and looking at her face "You're not happy"

"I just hate that we can't really help them more" she admitted in a defeated tone "Ha'Rok will not be proud to be part of my pack anymore"

"He will. He will understand that you are doing everything you can to help his people without compromising the Pack, or the Station" I told her taking her hand in mine, which always helped to soothe her.

I let go of her hand after a light squeeze on it just to reassure her, and then I headed towards the mirror to finish getting ready. Just as she was leaving, there was a chime at the door.

"yes?" she asked opening and finding a nice looking guy standing on the other side

"Ms Winters?" he asked tentatively "Pierce McAbee."

"No. Commander Ivanova" she said shaking his hand. "This is Ms Winters" she said gesturing to me, while I finished putting on my gloves. Then she excused herself and left for her shift.

"I sent you a note earlier" said Mr McAbee as soon as she left

"Oh yes, I got it a little while ago. I am sorry, we had a lot going on. Come through here" I gestured for the living room area

"Not a problem" he said following my lead and taking a seat

"So, what can I do for you?" I asked truly intrigued. His note had been quite vague.

"It is more a question of what I can do for you and what we can do for Earth" he stated. "I'm regional director of the Ministry of peace" he said reaching into his suit pocket to retrieve his presentation card and handing it to me "We are trying to round up supporters for a series of new programs"

"What kind of programs" I asked warily

"Folks back home are nervous about all the fighting going on out here. They need reassurance, you see? They need an environment dedicated to peace, not war. But we can never have peace with our neighbors if we are not at peace with ourselves so we… we are trying to find new ways to do just that. Ways we can better help each other, work with each other" This to me sounded a lot like what Psi Corps preached, and I did not like it one bit. "And for the next two days I will be giving a series of presentations in the lecture hall in Blue 6" he continued as he stood up "Just to station personnel and few handpicked others" he said smiling "I've spoken to your superiors back home and based on their recommendations I'd like very much for you to hear what we're offering" and there it was. Bester had surely sent this man, so I weighed my options for a moment "Please say yes" he said after a beat

"Alright. I'll try" I told him just to get him away from me.

After he left I went to Ambassador Kosh, as he had requested. He again told me that the Captain would not be joining us and continued on teaching me about control over my fear and how to strengthen the walls in my mind.

"Why are you so invested in teaching me and the Captain?" I asked him when the lesson was over

"Future comes with a price" he said after a moment, and then he walked away.

Susan came into our quarters later at night, still feeling sad and useless about the Narn. But she had at least managed to talk Dr Franklin into going to sleep and rest, and then they were going to meet in the mess hall for breakfast. She told me Dr Franklin had not slept or eaten in over 36hours due to all the work that had to be done on the medlab.

When Susan asked about my meeting in the morning, I told her I feared Bester was behind that somehow. So she decided to send Zach Allen in for the lecture and told me that if I wanted to go and see what that was about, to go ahead, but not to feel that I had to go just because she had sent Zach to figure what that was about. So that was how I found myself at the meeting the next day, sitting side by side with Zach.

"In the last 10 years, Earth has rebuilt its defenses magnificently." Started Mr. McAbee once the room was mostly full "We can protect our people from physical harm but is that enough? We cannot hope to make peace with other civilizations until we have found peace with ourselves. And that, quite simply, is what the Ministry of Peace is all about." I have to concede, that up until that point in his speech, I agreed. But of course I was not going to blindly trust him, especially after he told me that he had spoken with my superiors. "Now, as Babylon 5 has an early warning system to detect possible attacks. We at the Ministry of Peace have created a system of our own." He continued while taking out an arm band identical to the one he was wearing himself. It was Black with golden embroider "We call it the Night Watch, named after those brave citizens who stood vigil in the darkness against possible enemies. It's a completely volunteer organization," he continued giving off the arm band to be closer looked at by the people in the room "officially endorsed by Earth Dome. Members receive 50 credits per week above and beyond their regular salaries for services rendered."

"What kind of services" I asked him defensively

"Mainly just to be present wearing the colors of the Night Watch" he offered "Rise public awareness, make them start thinking about peace, about the way they treat one another"

"I can't believe Earth would pay us 50 credits a week just to walk around the station" said Zach

"Correct" agreed Mr McAbee "as the name implies, you must also be watchful. Peace can be made or broken with a gun, a word, and idea" then he looked at me "even a thought" after a small pause staring at me, looked around everyone again "Now, those who work against peace sow the seeds of discontent. They plant false stories. They undermine the public good. It's not because they are necessarily evil" he said with conviction "it's because they don't know better. They're unhappy. They lash out in the only way they can. If we are made aware of these problems as they occur, then we can find these people, we can talk to these people, we can embrace them in the arms of society while at the same time protecting society from misinformation and harmful ideas. We're less interested in actions, than we are in attitudes" and that got me to think in Ms Bester again, and the first time he asked me to spy on Susan and the rest of the Command staff for him. He said he wanted to know if they were acting weird, or outside the norm. So I knew then almost for sure that Psi Corps was behind this Night Watch charade "We must help protect society against its own worst instincts. By taking these bold steps we will help to insure a better future for everyone. I'm proud to be a part of it, and I hope you'll all join me in becoming a part of the Night Watch"

After the meeting I left Zach without even a word. There was much to ponder about it. Earth Dome was basically buying spies for them. It was going to be like the historical Witch Hunts of Salem. The Night Watch could accuse anybody of having bad mouthed the Government and then Civil War could be closer. It was a lot to ponder about and all worrisome.

Later that same day, Zach contacted me and told me the Captain had asked for me. So I went. I shouldn't have and Susan was quite upset with the Captain as soon as she found out what had happened, even Zach was upset, though it might have had to do with the fact that he felt used and his actions had caused me pain, and other than Maher, Zach seemed to be one of the most collected and easy going wolves in Susan's Pack. The Captain had asked me to scan a man that was illegally detained in the Station, without being accused of any crime; because the Captain knew this man, Mr Morden, had been part of the crew on board the Icarus before it exploded, the Icarus was the ship to which Captain's wife had been assigned, and she was on board the vessel at the time. So I understood his motivations to get answers from Mr Morden anyway necessary.

"I'm sorry Captain but I can't oblige you on this" I told him sincerely "Psi Corps rules prohibit unauthorized scans in civil or criminal investigations."

"How can it be unauthorized" he asked borderline mockingly "According to Earth central records, he is supposed to be dead" he said pointing the screen showing the holding cell in which Mr Morden was being held "Can a dead man object?"

"Captain, you are trying to use the letter of the law to defeat the spirit of the law" I told him seriously "Now, if you can get him to agree to a scan without duress…"

"He won't" he said defeated

"Then there's nothing I can do"

"And, since when do you really abide by thier rules?!" He asked me clearly upset at my lack of cooperation "If you did, Commander Ivanova would be a lab rat at some Psi Corps facility by now!"

"Captain!" Stepped then Zach making the Captain puase and collect himself

"Alright, if you'll please wait outside for just a minute" I nodded and walked out, leaving Zach to talk to the Captain.

To this day, I don't know why Zach complied with the Captain's next orders, or why he didn't let Susan know about it before acting on them, or why Susan didn't exile him from the pack. But I do know that what happened after was what broke Susan's blind trust in everyone in her pack, and what fractured her friendship with the Captain.

Zach was escorting me back to my quarters, and just before rounding a corner he whispered that he was sorry, next thing I know is we are crossing paths in the hall with a security detail and Mr Morden. I couldn't stop myself from staring at him, and what I saw shook me to my core. He was just a shadow in the shape of man, and behind him, another horrifying shape, glimmering and dark at the same time. It hurt me just to look at that, even worse than any pain I had felt until then. I almost lose consciousness, but Zach caught me before I hit the ground and took me to the Medlab where Dr Franklin ran a scan on me. Nothing was wrong other than the lingering headache I had after that encounter.

"Are you alright?" asked me Susan the moment she reached the Medlab

"Yes" I told her sighing and composing myself. Zach was standing behind me, looking down.

"Are you sure you're alright" asked me then Dr Franklin when he saw me shaking. Zach tried to help me stand up, but Susan's feral look at him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I think so" I told them both "It was terrible, like falling into a bottomless well… and cold, so cold" I said leaning into Susan's warmth. "And just for a second I thought I saw this…"

"What? What did you see?" asked me Susan concerned

"A shape… I... I don't know" I told her then, squeezing her hand hoping she understood that we would need to talk about it, because I was certain that what I had seen, was exactly of the same species that Susan had seen when she was lost in Hyperspace, and the same species that was described by both the Mimbari and the Narn. "It was probably nothing"

"Still, you should do a full report" said Dr Franklin

"I think I just did" I said briefly glancing at Zach, who still kept his head down. As I steadied myself to leave, Susan growled and I had to look up, just in time to see the Captain coming in.

"Ms Winters, for what is worth I'm sor…" Susan did not let him finish his apology and decided to punch him square in the face with a right hook, startling everybody. Then she whispered something that I could not catch, took my hand and lead me home.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok… you know the drill. Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _

_So… I do not know in reality how many more chapters we have left before the end of Season 2, I do know however how many canon episodes we are missing from here to the end, Show Episodes I mean._


	34. Chapter 34

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 34 (60)**_

_**Healer**_

"Schedule Delta Wing for maintenance at 1400 and make sure Conference Room 7 is properly laid out for the Tikar delegation" Ordered me John as we walked through the station. John had decided a few weeks prior, that it was good to do a morning round through the whole station every other day, the both of us. It was in part to make sure everything was working properly and also to let people on board see us, feel us closer to them, that way if they felt something was odd or they had a problem, they would be more inclined to let us know than acting secretly and creating mayhem

"Six yarwood chairs placed precisely one meter apart in a star pattern with the 'hee-lok' on the center chair" I told him, just to reassure him that I had it under control

"Very good" he said impressed. Which of course made me feel proud. His compliments were always honest. "Sheridan" he continued answering his comlink that had chirped on that moment

"Captain, there's a problem in the ambassadorial section" said the officer on the other side of the link. I did not recognized her voice "they're asking for a command officer"

"I'll handle it" I told him before he had a chance to ask, which I knew he was about to do given his glance at me

"Help is on the way" he told her as I walked away

I have to point out that I have never understood the need many beings have just to have witnesses to their stupidity. The reason some of the Ambassadors of the non-aligned worlds had asked for a commanding officer to be present, was to mediate between them a debate of which world had lost more due to the war between Narn and Centauri, and therefore, which of them deserved to be given help by the others instead of having to help the other worlds. But their debate had spiraled down to which of them was more accident prone on board the station. It pains me to say that Drazi won that particular argument, not because I was leader of the factions, but because they were indeed more accident prone. Followed by the PakMara. So that took most of my morning and I was already having a headache due to all the thoughts and emotions I was bombarded with while being in their presence. I knew I would have to speak to Talia and ask her for suggestions on how to keep the blocks up, because it seemed that the initial wall I had built was not strong enough. Either that or my telepathic abilities were still growing, which of course would annoy me even more than not being able to build a proper mental wall.

By the time I finished with the Ambassadors debate, I had only being at the Dome for a couple of minutes when the Tikar delegation arrived. I paged the Captain as soon as I provided their vessel the docking approval. He assured me he would meet them in the Conference room. So I headed to the docking bay to receive and escort them to their meeting.

I was lost in the motions of directing traffic as usual, that I did not realize what time it was until I received a call via Babcom system from one of the Conference Rooms, I really hoped it was not another annoying ambassadorial quarrel.

"Ivanova" I answered before looking at the screen. The image that greeted me the moment I glanced up, made me smile "Talia! Everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything is alright. Negotiations went smoothly" she told me referring to the private Earth Corporation and Mars that she had left to that morning. "Just wanted to let you know I will go and have dinner with Isogi-San. Probably will be late"

I couldn't help but frown for a moment; it took me a second to remember she had mentioned she knew the FutureCorps representative. "Be safe. See you tomorrow for breakfast as usual?"

"Of course" she said smiling at me

So with that, I finished my reports for the day and headed to Earharts. Where John ended up joining me

"Hello Commander, may I?" he asked quite formal. I nodded towards the seat in front of me

"How'd the conference go?" I asked him truly curious about it as soon as he sat

"Oh, very well" he started "Your sitting arrangement was flawless. Letir Corvo himself complimented it. I think we'll see the Tikar on Babylon 5 soon"

"I'm pleased" I told him "They're interesting people. And I believe you were the one who made first contact with them?"

"Yes. The Agamenon was in an unexplored sector, beyond the Saint Andre Nebula. When we sighted this green cloud floating in space. Only it wasn't a cloud at all. It was a ship" he said getting lost in the excitement of the memory, I could feel it myself. And that worried me a little bit more than the headaches. "We hailed it, but got no response. We moved toward it. It moved away. We kept that up, for hours, until finally they responded. It took our linguistics division a whole day to get even close to deciphering their language. They had already deciphered ours but neglected to tell us" he said chuckling as the waiter arrived with his drink

"Oh… a Jovian Sunspot" I asked amused upon recognizing his drink of choice "You're indulging"

"I earned it. And I'm off duty"

"Please, continue" I asked him, still feeling giddy and excited through his feelings, so I wanted to know more.

"well, we finally broke the language barrier and introduced ourselves and I was invited aboard their ship." He said still lost in his memory, that I was starting to see through him. "it was incredible" he whispered as the image cleared in his mind. "I've never seen so much space in a starship. And the Tikar themselves, so unlike any other alien species we've encountered. Spent 2 days with them, and what I learned in that time made me realize just how wondrous this galaxy of ours really is" His memory was interrupted by his comlink chirping. "Sheridan"

"Captain, there's been a murder on the station and the only witness is quite shaken up waiting for you and Commander Ivanova in your office" said Lt Corwin.

"For me?" I asked opening the link myself

"It is Ms Winters" said Corwin

I was at John's office before he even stood from the stool he was sitting at. My mate had been endangered and I had failed to protect her. I engulfed her in the tightest of hugs until a whimper escaped her and I realized I was using too much force in that, so I loosened my grip on her and walked us to sit on the couch that was at John's office.

The moment John came in he started his questioning of my mate and that was upsetting her even more. She told us the story of how a man came out of nowhere and attacked and killed Mr Isogi in front of her. I could feel the pain she was feeling at the loss of a friend as my own, so I did the only thing I could think to do, hug her and project all my love for her.

"So you have no idea what the images you got from the killer meant?" he asked her, while handing her a cup of water.

"No. It was all too quick. Just a blur of light and sound. Fighting ships and then the blackness" she said taking the cup

"And all he said was 'free mars'?" asked john frustrated, making me growl at him. He had already asked that. Talia had already told us what happened, twice now.

"Yes, but…my first assignment was Mars Colony, I scanned several Free Mars people during that time. They are violent fanatics with a murderous hatred for Earth Alliance… but this man was different. There was no thought of cause in his head, no anger, no emotion of any kind. Just those images" she explained rubbing my thigh, preventing me from attacking John.

"So what reason would Free Mars have for killing your client?"

"None" she said deeply sad which prompted me to tighten my hug "Taro's proposal was a peaceful solution to the Mars problem"

"Earth Central feels differently" said the Captain. "They believe he was going to back up another rebellion on Mars.

"Taro hated the violence on Mars" she argued standing and starting to pace the room "He would never had done such a thing. Someone's being lying to you Captain"

"Or to you" he interrupted upset, raising his voice and ready for confrontation, so I stood too and growled at him as soon as I was within his line of sight, preventing him from approaching my mate.

"I'm a telepath" she said taking my hand in hers, that made me stop growling but I did not back off from my position and I still glared at John

"Telepaths are human beings. You're and old friend of Isogi's" he said "You trusted him"

"With good reason" Talia argued back "Taro Isogi spent his life improving the lives of others. He built a business based on that principle. He never broke a rule or harmed another to do it. Mars was his dream Captain" she continued now crying "Now he's been murdered for it, and you're trying to cast the blame on him"

"I'm sorry" finally relented the Captain while I rubbed soothing circles on my mate's back

"I'm sorry too" she whispered. "I'm also tired and I hurt. May I go back to my quarters now?"

He was about to deny her request, I saw it in his eyes, so I could not help myself and I growled again.

"I'll arrange for an escort" he said after a moment. But I growled more menacing this time. I was not about to let my mate go just with anyone at the moment. I needed to make sure she was safe. "Commander Ivanova, why don't you escort Ms Winters back to her quarters. You are relieved from duty until tomorrow 900 hours"

It took me a moment to compose myself, but I was calm enough by the time we reached the turbolift. "You want to talk about it?" I asked her still holding her hand

"Is this really necessary?" she asked me annoyed letting go.

"You know I worry about you. I feel a rage inside me right now knowing I wasn't there to protect you. And that someone you clearly loved deeply has passed away because I failed you" I confessed when we stepped off the turbolift

She shook her head sadly and took my hand again, and when we reached her quarters, she broke down in my arms. It was so painful for me not being able to soothe her completely or to take away her pain.

"We'll get the man who did this. I promise"

"That won't bring him back" she said between sobs.

"It won't, but at least it will prevent him from killing anyone else" That night we held tighter to each other, just relishing in each other's presence. We made love in a different way. There was no sex involved, but we managed to become one again in our minds. I knew how much she was suffering because of this, and she knew how much I was hurting for her. And we both knew how much we loved each other.

"Regardless of the Security detail that Mr Garibaldi will hopefully assign to you, I will send Maher and Nikola to keep an eye on you" I promised her kissing her forehead the next morning

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked me concerned for me.

"We'll track him down" I told her firmly "Call if you need me" I asked her as I left her quarters to start my shift.

Luckily John had thought in advance and had asked Lt Corwin to hold all outgoing traffic until further notice as soon as Talia and I left his office. So I did not have to worry that morning about the culprit having escaped because I was not thinking clearly.

So while I was manning the station, I sent Ethan and Aiden, the twins, to track down the killer. I gave them the last known location of his, which was where Mr Isogi had been killed and Talia attacked. In the meantime John went to talk to Ms Carter in order to determine if she was involved somehow with the murder. While Mr Garibaldi directed the official investigation.

I was looking through Mr Garibaldi's notes which showed that Taro Isogi died from electrocution and that there were finger marks around his neck, however there were no fingerprints or DNA left behind in order to identify the killer, when I was informed by Maher that Talia had been attacked again, and that the officer assigned to keep her safe had been killed, while Nikola was badly injured. Maher told me they lost track of the attacker because he had no scent, which explained why Ethan and Aiden had not been able to track him down yet. But it troubled me even more, because without a scent to go on, this guy was practically invisible for us.

I arrived to Talia's quarters just as Garibaldi was leaving. He assured me that she was safe, only a little shaken up and that he had left 3 guards at her door.

"Are you ok?" I asked worriedly glancing at her, trying to assuage if she was physically hurt anywhere.

"yes, yes, I am" she said with a shaking voice. She was scared now and that infuriated me even more than seeing her sad. Because once again, it was my fault.

"I'm sorry I have not protected you" I told her lifting her chin making her look me in the eye "I will leave now, but only to hunt down the man responsible for your fear and pain" It would be easier to track him down now that we had identified him, even without a scent, he must have been seen by someone on the station.

I was in Down Below with the twins, when Maher contacted me letting me know that Talia was on the move, headed towards Ms Carter's quarters because she had request a meeting. A few minutes later, he contacted me again letting me know that the security detail outside Ms Carter's quarters had determined that Mr Horn was inside with Amanda and Talia.

I arrived there to one of the most terrifying thing a wolf can see. My mate was being held hostage by Horn, with his prosthetic hand charged with electricity, almost around Talia's neck, keeping her from moving or running away with his other hand.

"If you hurt her, I will see that that you have a long and painful dead" I growled out as I stepped by Garibaldi's side

"I'm already dead Ms crazy growl" said Abel with a maniac chuckle at the same moment that John arrived.

"No you aren't Horn" he stated while placing a hand on my shoulder. "Listen to me. They are using you to betray your own world"

"How do you know this?" asked Abel skeptically

"You know it to Abel" said the Captain, still not letting go of me "You feel the machine, crawling in your brain"

"Get out of my way" demanded Abel

"Let us help you" tried soothingly the Captain "that's all we wanna do"

"you let her go, and they'll help you" I gritted through my teeth

"You've died to many times Abel" continued the Captain "there's no need to die again" After a moment of hesitation, Abel let Talia go, who came straight at me, letting me hug her and bury my face in her neck, trying to soothe her and bath my senses with her scent "good, now put the weapon down" continued John

"It was the Earthers, wasn't it" asked Abel with a trembling voice "wasn't enough just to kill me?"

"We'll find out who it was, together. Just, put the gun down" said the Captain

"Mars will never be free, until the sands run red with Earther blood" said Abel to Ms Carter who had regained conscience, a moment before rising the weapon and shooting at us.

I turned around just in time to put my mate behind me while everyone else scattered for their weapons. John's shot being the one that hit Abel squared on his chest

"thanks for ending it, earther" said Horn right before he died, again.

"Captain, I'm reading a dangerous energy surge from the body" said Zach leaning over Abel's body with a bio scanner

"I'm getting you out of here" I told Talia picking her up and walking us both away from danger

"Come on, everybody out" ordered the captain

Abel's body exploded as soon as we all rounded the corner of the aisle of the sector junction. The Captain ordered us all to go to the med lab to make sure no major injuries were sustained before and after the explosion.

"I am very sorry Ms Winters" said Ms Carter as soon as she had been treated "Abel said you knew what was wrong with him and I was worried about it. I never thought he would try to harm you"

"But he did, and you too" I told her really mad at the situation "you put her in danger, for nothing" I was stopped from attacking Ms Carter by my mate, who just tugged me to her side. "How does a Mars Government representative know so much about a Free Mars terrorist?" I asked defeated now

"Abel Horn wasn't always a terrorist" started Ms Carter looking at the Captain and Mr Garibaldi. "fifteen years ago he was a bright young man utterly devoted to independence for Mars Colony. That's when I met him" she paused and looked at me "Fell in love with him" she added sighing clearly expecting me to understand "He convinced me to join Free Mars. It wasn't a radical group at the time. Later when they began to become violent, I left them" she then turned again towards the Captain "I never saw Abel again until today"

"Oh tell me another one" said mockingly Garibaldi and I scoffed agreeing with him

"You can have Ms Winters scan me if you think I'm lying. Besides I've already said enough to ruin my career" tried Ms Carter defending herself

"If we report it" said the Captain

"Are you proposing a deal Captain" asked Ms Carter as shocked as Garibaldi and I were

"You said that Taro Isogi's plan was the best hope for Mars. Did you mean that?" Asked John in a serious tone

"yes!"

"Well then continue to negotiate with FutureCorp" ordered the Captain "Make that happen"

"I doubt they'll be interested after what happened here" said Ms Carter

"I'll be glad to speak with them for you" offered my mate "I'll make it clear that your government had nothing to do with the murder. I'm sure they'll consider going ahead"

"Why?" asked still incredulous Ms Carter

"To make sure Taro Isogi's dream becomes a reality" started the Captain "and to keep you where you can do the most good"

"Thank you"

"We'll talk later" said my mate hugging Ms Carter before we left the medbay

"Captain" stopped Garibaldi "begging your pardon, but have you gone space happy?" he asked upset "That woman is an accessory to murder and attempted murder"

"Horn wasn't trying to kill me. He wanted me to scan him. There was something in his mind, controlling him. Something he wanted me to find" Said Talia taking my hand

"And did you" I asked her in turn

"I saw an image. Some sort of operation"

"Did you recognize anything?! A location, face, uniform?!" asked agitated Mr Garibaldi.

"No" she said firmly, but I could sense she was lying.

"Ivanova, take Ms Winters to her quarters" ordered the Captain "I'll head to CnC to help Corwin move the traffic out"

"What did you really see?" I asked my mate once we got to her quarters

"A Psi Cop. Two doctors with masks and a Psi Cop"

We were cuddling when I just couldn't hold back anymore. The fear of losing her those last couple of days because I was not around to protect her, was killing me. I don't know what I would do if something ever happens to her. So I asked her to officially move in with me. To my quarters. We were already engaged, so why not skip ahead and get to sleep every night without fail in each other's arms, and wake up always to her scent. She agreed without hesitation so I started the paperwork to make it official. Seeing as I was not really paying rent for my quarters and Earth Dome was paying itself for it thanks to John's subtle subterfuge when they tried to charge us rent, it was going to be a lot of paperwork to make sure she did not have to pay rent for it either.

A few days after that, I had finally talked to John regarding the Narn refugee situation, but of course he was stubborn and waited until almost everyone in the staff talked to him about it, he finally cracked when Garibaldi approached him.

I was talking to Talia about John's decision to separate injured cases by priority, as he should have ordered from the beginning. And how useless I felt not being able to help them out. Louba and Ha'Rok kept us updated on the situation in the Narn Homeworld and even when relative safe because the Centauri had yet to attack there, the amount of refugees going from Narn Colonies to the Homeworld was making their living conditions precarious. Talia tried to soothe my distress and comfort me as she could but it was something still weighing on me.

"yes?" I asked as I approached the door to leave at the exact time it chirped announcing a visitor.

"Ms Winters?" asked the man at the other side. "Pierce McAbee."

"No. Commander Ivanova" I told him with a firm hand shake. "This is Ms Winters" I said pointing towards Talia who was still in the process of getting her PsiCorps issued hand gloves. "And I must be going if I don't want to be late. Excuse me"

It was long and stressful day with a lot more ships coming and going to and from the station than usual, but then again traffic had been more prominent after New Year. Maher and Neeoma's wedding had been postponed until she came back to the station. She had had to leave to Earth a week before Christmas because there was some sort of Guild Convention, and she was scheduled to be back on B5 the second week of 2260.

I had been neglecting my family's official business for too long and I was reminded about it by Elafe, who told me I had missed the last 5 meetings, and he seem surprised that Talia had not mentioned them, since she had been there as part of our contract. Truth is I was blindly trusting Magda and everyone else to keep it running while I dealt with the station issues. If anything came up that needed my immediate attention regarding the company, I was sure Magda and Maher would let me know. However I made a mental note to catch up on the current deals we had going on as soon as I had a chance to sit into it.

In the meantime and after another long day in CnC, I received a message from Dimitri asking me to help him do something about Stephen who had not left the Medlab in at least 2 days. I checked his records and the registration and was appalled to see that Dimitri was right. With that in mind I headed down there and found Stephen dosing off on his chair while the records of his patients was being played on speaker for him to study the cases.

"Doc… Doc" I roused him just as he was about to fall off his chair

"I'm awake, I'm awake" he said still drowsy from sleep "What is it?.. What? What?" still not fully awake

"I just downloaded your medical log" I told him seriously "You haven't slept for 36 hours"

"Yeah.. I've been kind of busy. Stims get me through" he defended himself. And I knew it. He was trying to help, doing everything within his power and abilities to aid the Narn refuges.

"They're not substitutes for food or sleep"

"Yeah well, I've got work to do" he said starting to feel attacked

"And a whole staff of doctors that can do it as well as you" I countered

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" he said jokingly

"I'm not playing that game. As of right now I'm relieving you of duty" I added when I saw he was about to keep arguing "Report to your quarters and get some sleep. Six Hours minimum. After that, report to the messhall and have something to eat. I'll join you there"

"But…" he tried as he was standing up

"I mean it. You're no use to me or anyone else in this condition" after a moment he sighed defeated and agreed to go get some rest. Dimitri just nodded his head towards me in silent gratitude.

I was exhausted by the time I reached home. But at least I had caught up with half the paperwork concerning Pack business, for which I felt relieved. Magda and Maher along with Elafe, were really doing an amazing job.

"How was your day?" asked me Talia upon seeing me

"Long" I said pouring us a drink "I managed to force Stephen into going to sleep. He hadn't left the medlab in overe 36 hours." I told her taking a seat by her side. "I won't be around for breakfast tomorrow, I will join him in the messhall to make sure he does have something to eat"

"Look at you" she said amused "You want to feed the doctor that forced you into a diet"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. It was quite ironic in a humorous way. "How was your meeting with Mr. McAbee?"

"I fear Bester, or more accurately Psi Corps are behind it"

"What do you mean? Why?"

"Because of how he said what he told me. He mentioned that he had talked to my superiors back home and that in light of that he thought it would be beneficial for both of us for me to listen to what he has to say"

"Which is?"

"Not sure yet. It involves the new Ministry of Peace" she said placing her hand on my face in a tender caress. "Stop frowning" she said smiling at me

"Didn't know I was frowning" I told her truthfully but content at the moment

"Anyway, he wants me to join his lecture these coming days in which he is going to explain in detail what this is about"

"Alright, I'll send Zach to check it out. You don't have to go if you don't feel comfortable about it" I did not want to force her into any situation.

In the end, of course stubborn as we both are, she decided to check it out herself, so in the morning when she left for the Lecture, I left in search of Stephen.

"Better?" I asked him as soon as I saw him finishing his food "You've been pretty quiet. Did you get any sleep?"

"As soon as my head hit the pillow" he said truthfully before taking a sip of his drink "I just had some bad dreams, that's all"

"About what?"

"Oh it's nothing" he said dismissively

"It must be something if it's bothering you" I prompted him, hoping he would tell me, because I was feeling as restless as he was.

"Sometimes, before I fall asleep, I close my eyes and see the face of every patient that I ever lost" he started "They're always there waiting for me, right behind my eyelids. Everynight. The last couple of days we've lost a lot of Narns, Susan. This damned war with the Centauri" he said staring into nothing. Hatred coming off of him

"I know, they just keep coming" I conceded, knowing the feeling quite well myself, trying to soothe him in a way "They're crammed into those refugee ships like sardines. Sick, wounded. By the time they get here, half of them are beyond hope" I finished realizing I was not really doing a good job of soothing him. Even though in the exterior he looked calm, he was feeling quite agitated.

"Beyond help, yes" he agreed "Beyond hope…" he paused for a moment, trying to form into words what was in his mind "Do you believe in God Susan?"

I hesitated, because I could see what he really wanted, needed to hear. His mind at the moment was an open book for me, and I was not prepared for that. I would definitely have to tell Talia about it soon, because this scared me. "I suppose. I mean, I was raised Jew. I went to temple I was bat mitzvahed…" I settled on telling him, even though I knew that was not what he meant.

"I didn't ask how you spent your adolescence. I asked if you believed in God" he stressed out taking one more sip to his drink, staring at me above the cup.

"Most of the time" I conceded "Do you?"

"I'm a Foundationist"

"I've never heard of that one"

"It's fairly new, only been around about a 100 years. One of the bunch that sprouted after we had made contact with aliens" he explained "See, the idea is that God is too big to be defined by words. Sort of like Zeno's paradox. You can never get anywhere because there's an infinite number of dots between you and the object. The closer you get to defining God, the further away it gets"

"Ok. What does that have to do with this?" I asked him, truly trying to understand what his mind was screaming at me and his words were failing to explain.

He rose from his seat and started to pace around me before answering me "You know, when a patient starts to slip away, I mean he looks at you" he said standing by my side, staring into my eyes "And his eyes grab a hold of you they way a drowning man grabs hold of anything to keep from sinking. Afraid. So afraid. And then, just at the last, it's as if they look past you to something else and the look on their face is like nothing you can describe." And he didn't need to describe it because I was seeing it. Just the from his memories that were all projected at the same time. He had indeed lost so many patients, not only Narn. And he had experienced this moment he was trying to define into words, so many times. I could see how this was actually the first time he even tried to. "And then, just as they look past you, the moment that they look past you, you can't help but meet their gaze and just for an instant, you see God reflected in their eyes… I've seen a lot of reflected Gods this last few days Susan. And I'm wondering how can we keep believing in them when they've stopped believing in us"

Later that day, a clearly agitated Mr Garibaldi came to tell me how irrational the Captain was being at the time regarding a prisoner that was in lock down without charges because John had a personal vendetta with him. Garibaldi told me that it came to the point that he had quitted his position. So of course, I tracked down the Captain and walked with him before he reached his destination confronting him on what was happening.

"Captain, can I talk to you for a minute? It's about Mr Morden" I told him in way of greeting, cutting directly to the chase

"Get in line Commander"

"I'm serious, I just spoke to Garibaldi…"

"I assume he briefed you" he said upset

"He did"

"You know then everything you need to know" and God how I hate that expression

"No, I don't. Captain, listen." I told him making us both stop "As you Executive Officer it is my responsibility to notify you if I think your behavior is becoming…"

"Irrational?" he asked interrupting me

"That's as good a word as any" I told him

"Thank you for your notification Commander. Now if you don't mind…" he said resuming his walk so I interrupted him walking by his side

"Captain look, you're forcing me into a position where I will have to report this and I don't want to have to do that. Do you understand?" I asked him raising my voice and holding his arm to make us stop again.

"I do understand Commander" he too said raising his voice "I know how I look, I know how I sound but I have to do this" he started "For 10 years the only things that mattered to me were my wife and my career. When she died she took the best part of me with her. I survived by telling myself that it was an accident, like everybody said, and focusing on the one thing that I had left, my job. And now suddenly that's all turned upside down. Maybe she was killed by that man sitting in isolation right now! If you were in my position would you let him go if you had that doubt in your mind!? Could you!?" I knew he was right, I couldn't. I would tear the man to pieces until he confessed the truth about what had happened to Talia if I was in John's position

"No, I couldn't" I told him acknowledging he was right

"Neither can I" he said softly as we resumed walking toward the isolation cell "Because the other possibility is that if he is alive, then maybe she is alive. And either way I have to know. I guess, without that, nothing else means one damn" he concluded walking away from me.

I should have guessed, given the circumstances, that he would try to do something reckless and beyond stupid. I was not expecting him to drag my mate into that mess of his. When Vladimir told me that Zach had brought Talia to the Medlab because she had almost fainted on her way back home, after a visit to the Captain, I figured he must have tried to coerce her into scanning Mr Morden. Vladimir told me that he heard her tell Stephen that she had crossed paths with that man and that she had been shaken by what she glimpsed.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as soon as I got there, looking at her pale face while seated on the examination bed. Zach standing behind her in silent watch, looking down and bearing his throat to me.

"yes" she assured me with a sigh

"Are you sure you're alright" asked then Stephen when we both noticed her trembling. When she tried to stand, Zach moved to help her but one look from me made him freeze and keep his throat bare for me.

"I think so. It was terrible, like falling into a bottomless well… and cold, so cold" she said leaning into me. "And just for a second I thought I saw this…"

"What? What did you see?" I asked concerned

"A shape… I... I don't know" she said honestly, but her mind projected, I don't know if consciously or not, what she had seen and I was certain it was indeed a Shadow, the species described by both the Mimbari and the Narn. "It was probably nothing" she added after a moment

"Still, you should do a full report" said Dr Franklin

"I think I just did" she said looking at Zach, who had not moved at all. We were about to leave when I caught John's scent approaching the Medlab

"Ms Winters, for what is worth I'm sor…" I did not let John finish his half hearted apology to my mate. I punched him with all my strength. First time I went full force on him. "I am in your position now… you want me to keep at it like you are keeping at Mr Morden?" I asked in a whisper that only him and Zach could understand.

Zach ended up joining the Night Watch, which was the vigilante volunteer association that the Ministry of Peace had created in order to have spies everywhere in the Galaxy. He promised me that it was in order to have extra credits for doing what he was already doing, and to keep an eye in other members of the Watch. He said he wanted to atone for his mistake, for the part he had in harming Talia, since he knew the moment the Captain gave the order to change him to another cell, that they would cross paths, and that was exactly John's plan all along. I could feel how sorry he was, and how eager he was to make things right, that is the only reason I did not ban him and let him stay with the pack instead of making him an Omega.

Talia and I talked in length about what she saw in and with Mr Morden. Later on we learned that John had finally relented and let go of the prisoner after a long chat with Ambassadors Kosh and Delenn. I did not confront any of them on that matter, because if John had let go of that man after that chat, it meant just one thing. The Shadows were among us now, ready for a great war. And we all had to prepare for that.

"I need you to train me" I told Talia

"Train you? What you mean?" she asked truly confused

So I launched into telling her how I had not told her before because I was scared, but that my telepathic abilities kept growing, and how I had almost no control when assaulted by someone else's thoughts or memories. Like when John told me about the first contact with the Tikal, or Stephen with his dying patients. And that is how I ended up also joining Ambassador Kosh in his lessons on life and beauty in the dark.

* * *

**A/N**_: Don't forget to drop a line letting me know what you think._

_Also, since we are approaching the end of the Season and even though this chapter is already placed in 2260, remember to keep in mind that I did alter the timeline of Canon B5 in a way that suits my needs for the plot to keep going on as I envisioned. _

_Just random information, this last CANNON EPISODE was 16__th__. And in this we see at the beginning Vir and Morden meeting. That meeting is the iconic "I want to live long enough… and wave my fingers at you like this" line from Vir. Whose wish gets granted later on when Mr Morden's head is actually put on spike and Vir does wave his fingers at his lifeless head._

_Also, this same episode, was when at the end Kosh tells Sheridan "If you go to Za'ha'Dum you will die" line that was used in the Season 5 opening sequence of the show._

_I wanted to incorporate this into the fic, because I love those Two (Technically 3) moments. However there is no way in my mind in how to make it so Susan or Talia are aware of those situations. Yet._


	35. Chapter 35

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Healer**_

_Keep in mind that I do not own Babylon 5 or its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. They are property of WB and Straczynski. (Put in other words: sadly I am not making money out of writing this, I'm only doing it for the pleasure of sharing a piece of my mind with you all)_

_Please remember that this story is a FEMLASH portraying Susan's and Talia's relationship, if this bothers you, you shouldn't be here, so leave now if you're not comfortable with this fact._

_Also remember that Susan is a werewolf, kinda like the ones portrayed in the Underworld movies. You know, strong, virtually immortal, and able to control when they shift. _

_Once again I altered the timeline to suite my needs for things to flow between them. I however, did not alter the B5 General plot line, so the major events that happened during the series, are still there, some of them with a little twist, but most of them stayed just the same._

_Remember to leave your reviews…_

* * *

_**Telepath Wolf**_

_**(Season 2)**_

_**Chapter 35 (61)**_

_**Healer**_

For some unexplained reason, Mr Garibaldi decided to tell John about the B5 Triangle. It was an area in Grey Sector that even us wolves tried to avoid whenever we went for a run down there. Most of the 'Ghost' stories on board the station, were actually in part because of us. While it is true that we had been going frequently to Epsilon 3 below us, or other worlds near Babylon 5, to stretch our limbs, it was also true that it was tricky to manage the transport of so many people back and forth without raising suspicions, as it was, Garibaldi was still snooping around in order to find anything amiss with the family business. So I was surprised when John asked me about that particular location on the station.

"What can you tell me about 'The Triangle'? asked me John clearly excited at the prospect of a mystery to solve

"Who told you about it?" I asked in a serious tone, still upset at what he had pulled against my mate, but secretly amused by his antics.

"Mr. Garibaldi told me how there are registers of batter change, strange lights, weird noises, people vanishing…" he said listing out "I want to know if it's your people" he said then.

"No. That particular portion of Grey Sector, even we avoid it." I told him truthfully

"Big bad wolf is scared?" he asked jokingly but that did not sit well with me, so I pinned him by neck to the wall.

"There is something there that puts on edge. If we go, we are more violent." I explained. Which was somewhat truth. The few of us that had ventured to that sector of the station, we were more on edge after that. "You want to have violent wolves on board? You just have to keep putting our mates on harm's way" I told him before releasing him and walking away.

The Captain of course decided that figuring out what was going on around the B5 Triangle, was a good way to alleviate the stress he had been feeling due to the daily booms. It troubled me a little because I still cared for him. Which is the reason I believed his report after his visit to Medlab.

"Hate is a weapon used against you" told me Kosh on our session.

"I don't hate him" I told him truthfully knowing full well that he was talking about John. "I hate what he did, I feel pissed off at him"

"Free yourself from anger and control you will gain" He said walking away.

I was mussing over his words and trying to find a way to not feel anger anymore, when John came walking casually into CnC.

"Commander… everything in order?"

"Remarkably so… and it's beginning to worry me" I added because there had not been any boom situations to solve. Minor Alien conflicts on board. Nothing huge other than the increasing traffic of ships to and from B5. And no visits in the last month or so from the Rangers.

"Do you always worry when things are going well?" he asked amused

"I don't have time to worry when they're not" I said as we were told that the Jumpgate was online, so I focused on that. "It's the Arkati" I informed the crew "She's pre-registered, route her to Bay 8" however I was momentarily assaulted by John's perspective of the controls in front of us, he was seeing everything in a different range of lights, it was almost blinding and was causing a headache to both of us, but he took a moment to compose himself and the assault in my mind finished. However he was still experimenting some sort of hallucination.

"What the hell?" he asked feeling pain and fear at whatever he was seeing outside

"Sir?" I asked confused and worried for him, and getting frustrated by the fact that now I was receiving nothing mentally from him. I could not for the life of me, see whatever it was that he was seeing.

"Anna" he whispered a moment before he jumped as a reaction of that vision

"Captain, what is it?"

"Station 6, go hypertrack. I want that whole area scanned, right now!"

"What area sir?" I asked for clarification as he kept pointing outside he turned around the Dome "Captain? Is something wrong?"

"I… I have to see to something" he said after a moment of hesitation before leaving the Dome.

Vladimir told me that he heard John explained to Stephen what he thought he had seen. The Icarus, the ship that his wife and Mr Morden had been on board on, exploding right in front of his eyes outside B5

"Garibaldi to all officers on board, I want a location on Captain Sheridan" came through the officers links a few hours later, just a moment before I was informed that there was a fighter prepping for launch.

"Delta 1 why are you prepping for launch?" I asked curious for the reason, there was nothing programmed "Delta 1 please respond, this is Commander Ivanova" I added

"Ivanova, this is Sheridan" came through the comm. system.

"Captain? What are you doing?"

"Just going for a little spin, there's no need to worry" he said oddly too calm "I'll be back before you know it. Authorization code Gamma Six Six Zed Niner." Came through as he cut the channel

"Delta 1 is launching" told me Lt Corwin less than a minute later

"Ivanova to Garibaldi… I found the Captain" I told him. A few minutes later he was also launching and following the Captain.

It turned out that there was an Alien life form living in the B5 Triangle, which ended up possessing John and forcing him to go to Sector 14 in order to be released and go back home. The Alien communicated in the form of dreams or hallucinations, but it just wanted to go home. Curious enough his home was a temporal anomaly, in which B4 appeared to be trapped.

"It was a life form" said John at his quarters that night, where Stephen, Garibaldi and myself were with him. "Sentient but completely alien."

"What was it doing in your head?" asked Garibaldi

"It was trying to survive and to go home" said John sighing. "It must have come through that rift in Sector 14 and somehow ended up in the Markhab 's body I found… it drove him mad"

"How did you figure out what it wanted from you?" I asked trying to understand the situation

"The images I got… fear, loss, home… somehow he was sending me a message and touching emotions deep inside of me, which mirrored his own state. I was actually seeing what it felt"

"This is fantastic!" said clearly excited Stephen "For this creature to not show up in my scans, it would have to be completely different from every Alien species we know! Possibly gaseous in nature, or maybe even pure energy" he said in wonder "And then somehow made an empathic connection with you"

"I think he's excited" I voiced out loud feeling as excited as he was.

"Whoa excited?! We could be discovering a completely new life form from here" he added "Since you helped him, do you think we might be able to contact it again?" he asked John

"Ahhh, no thanks" declined John "I prefer to be only slightly insane"

"Yeah. Don't we all?" asked Garibaldi. But it troubled me that he was feeling upset about it, yet his demeanor was the same as usual.

A few minutes after that, we all decided to leave, however I stayed back in order to talk to John.

"Ivanova, I know you hate me right now" he said

"Why everyone thinks that?" I asked under my breath. "I don't hate you John. I hate that you used Talia without considering repercussions" I said truthfully "I have always followed your lead because I know you value life. All life" I continued seriously "But you disregarded her life for your own personal needs…. Look, I understand why you did it, I really do understand it. But I hate you felt the need to trick her into that"

"She did not want to help me at the time" he said defensively

"Does not matter. You put her in harm's way and that is something I find really hard to forgive" I said before leaving his quarters and headed to mine.

Things with John the following days were not the best on a personal level, but we were getting there, I was getting there back to trust him. Thanks to Kosh's training and also thanks to Talia, who kept reminding me that John was my friend and he had not meant harm to herself. However, I think the turning point when he mostly won back my trust on a personal level with him, was when the new Commercial telepath finally arrived on the station.

"Susan" he said catching up to me on my way to CnC "I would not go to the Dome today if I were you. I will take care of everything there"

"Why?" I asked suspicious of his intent "What's going on?"

"Just handle all the diplomatic meetings and issues today, and I'll handle the traffic and welcome of Bester's new pet" he said walking towards the Dome

I am thankful I did not have to deal with that particular issue at the time. His name was Jean Christophe, he was French, and as Bester had promised a P7. I was surprised when I felt a subtle scan on my mind the next morning as I headed for my office in Red Sector before my shift started. I looked around and saw him, smirking, knowing he had just done that on purpose. I almost jumped him but was stopped by Ambassador Kosh, who stepped in front of me

"Remember to let go of your anger to gain control" and then he walked away.

It was easier said than done, but after talking to Talia the last couple of weeks about this, we came to realize that Kosh was right, whenever I felt angry or upset; it was when I had less control over my telepathic abilities.

"Captain, you got a minute?" I asked John a couple of days after that, when I saw him signing reports at the dome.

"Sure, what's up?"

"We've got a Markhab's transport 10 hours overdue. I've tried to reach her, but she's not responding. So I'd like to send a flight of starfuries out to her last known position… see if there's a problem"

"Better to be sure. I agree" he said nodding

"Good, I'll sent the zeta squadron as soon as Lt Keffer gets back" I said turning to leave

"I thought Zeta Squad was on break" he said making me stop and turn back to him

"It is, but sometime ago Keffer decided to follow up on the rumors regarding the Ghosts on hyperspace. So he's been spending some of his free time in Hyperspace" I saw him pale at my comment.

"Tell Lt Keffer to return to base. And I want all freelance expeditions curbed from now on" and I knew that if I had any doubts about his chat with Delenn and Kosh, now there were none. "And his fighter is to be recharged and ready to go within the hour"

"Yes, sir" An hour later I was debriefing the fighter pilots on the mission. "So we don't know what the problem is. There may not be a problem. But we would like it to check it out, just in case"

"Where has her last position?" asked Keffer

"Sector 23, grid 230, by 9 by 40" I provided

"Cargo?" Again Keffer. He was a good officer. Looking at the big picture through the small details.

"Nothing major, as far as we know" I said "The Kar'tii is a civilian transport. It left the Markhab homeworld 12 days ago. Her homing beacon's linked to your scanner, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding her. Good Hunting" I said dismissively and as the pilots were walking away to get ready, I asked Lt Keffer to stay. "Just one more thing… the Captain wants a moratorium to your expeditions into hyperspace" And honestly also did I. It was not safe for him to go hunting these Shadows.

"Come on Commander, it's on my own time!" he argued

"That's not the issue" I told him honestly "Things are getting a little nuts around here right now. You should know that better than anyone else…"

"But there's something out there" he countered

"Yes" I agreed completely "Yes there's something out there. But there's also something in here. And something in here is me giving you a direct order"

"Commander, I just…"

"If there's some part of that sentence that you don't understand Lieutenant, I'm happy to explain it over the next four months while the squadron goes out on missions without you"

"Understood" he relented clearly disappointed "We'll be back in a few hours"

It pained me to see him look so defeated, but I knew it was for the best. It was for his and the station's protection. By this point I just wondered when John, or Kosh for that matter, would tell me directly about the Shadows, then again, Kosh being Telepath himself surely knew I already knew.

As he promised, soon Keffer's squadron was coming back through the jumpgate, bringing in tow the Markhab's ship

"Zeta 1 to Babylon Control"

"This is Babylon Control, go ahead Zeta 1" I said through the link

"We're bringing the transport in for inspection, recommend full medical team. And you better let the Captain know, I've got an ugly feeling about this" said Keffer somewhat shaken if the tone in his voice was indication

I made arrangements for the Markhab ship to be docked in Bay 14. And just when the medical team was about to board it, the Markhab representative showed up denying all access to it, stating that they had jurisdiction over their own kind.

"Sheridan, go" came the Captain's response as soon as I paged him

"We've got a problem in Bay 14 Captain. I think you better get over there"

"Will do" he said ending his link

Stephen was really upset when he contacted me letting me know about his findings with the Markhab's bodies on Medlab, so I told him about the Markhab ship now waiting to be boarded. He asked me to meet him there. Stephen and I walked into the Bay at the same time, Captain was already there.

"You mean the right to hide the truth" he accused the Markhab representative that was stopping us from going into the ship "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Stephen" I tried to calm him

"I need some privacy here" was Stephen's response. Making the medical team to leave the bay.

"Stephen" tried the Markhab too

"You don't want us to board that ship because you suspect the same thing that I do" said Stephen sternly

"Which is?" asked annoyed the Captain

"We've had 4 dead Markhab in the last 3 days" I told the Captain

"Dr. Lazarenn has certified them all death by natural causes" continued Stephen "Nothing jumped out about them in a cursory autopsy, so I let it go. But I just finished a more detailed examination of the bodies. They were killed by some plague or infectious disease that was brought here by your people. Now I want to how terminal and how contagious!"

"It is 100% terminal" stated defeated Dr Lazarenn "and 100% contagious" With that statement, he finally allowed the medical and security teams on board the ship in order to retrieve the bodies. All personnel on the case was ordered to use face masks and to be extra careful with the processing of the bodies. Stephen left with Lazarenn, still arguing about his approach to this outbreak.

According to Stephen's final report, Lazarenn had told him that the disease had appeared on the Markhab homeworld a century before. On a small isolated Island known for living in excess. They Markhab believe then that only the immoral would get infected, seeing as by the time they reached the island, there was no one left alive to spread it. Then, about a year before the events in Babylon 5, the disease had appeared again and had spread along the galaxy because they still believed that by being pure they would not get it. All the Markhabs were prohibited by their government to speak about it. But a few doctors had been working on a way to find a cure.

So Stephen started to work with him on ways of finding a cure, because by that point they did not know at all if the disease was infectious beyond their own species. That is how the command and medical staff found ourselves sitting around John's conference table discussing the situation.

"Dr. Lazarenn says the incubation period can last several weeks or few days. Until then, it is absolutely invisible" Said Stephen handing out a copy of his report and action plan to all of us. "Once the symptoms appear the patient expires within 24 hours"

"And there's no known cure" I added

"Not yet at least" continued Stephen "Now the problem is between the time the disease shows up and termination you only got a few hours. And you can't know how the disease works if you can't follow it over time"

"Do you know how far this thing has spread?" asked Garibaldi

"Until we know otherwise we have to assume that the entire Markhab community has been infected" provided Stephen

"What about everybody else?" asked now a worried John

"That's the big question" stated Stephen "Is the disease contagious outside their species, and if so, is it transmitted through air, touch, body fluids or other means? If it is physically transmitted we might have a chance at containment" he said giving everyone a little bit of hope "It it's airborne… given the air here is recycled, the entire station might be infected" and there he went to crash down the little hope he had given…

"Doctor, it is your jurisdiction" started John after a moment of heavy silence in the room "What's the plan?"

"I want every Markhab on board this station brought in for a complete medical examination

"Well doc they'll scream bloody murder" provided Garibaldi "They will say that we are implying that they are immoral…"

"We have to know how far this thing has spread" said Stephen interrupting Garibaldi "and more importantly we have to find someone who is infected before the disease becomes terminal so we can follow its progress"

"What kind of symptomology are we looking for?" asked Dimitri

"Chronic dizziness, acute sore throat, low blood pressure, swelling of lymph nodes and surface glands. It's all in my report" said Stephen "Now once this disease comes out of dormant state it hits straight for the central nervous system where it somehow starts shutting down all neural pathways that control respiration and heartbeat. Then… inside 24 hours paralysis and death"

"Commander Ivanova, I'm hereby issuing an executive order placing Babylon 5 under quarantine" ordered John "Incoming ships will be diverted elsewhere. No ships will be allowed to leave until we determine just how far this disease is likely to spread"

"Are we gonna tell people why they can't leave?" I asked him

"I don't think we have a choice" stated John

"What about segregating the Markhabs from the rest of the population?" asked Garibaldi

"No no no" said Dimitri "If the disease is airborne then moving them into a different part of the station is not going to solve the problem"

"All the air here is recycled" reminded us Stephen "If it turns out that the disease is not transmissible to other species then confining them to one area will speed up the infection among the Markhab community without good reason"

"On the other hand when word gets out we've got the best next thing to the Black Death on the station, it's gonna scare everybody" argued Garibaldi "And when people get scared they start looking for scapegoats. If we can keep the Markhabs all together in one place then my people can protect them. Because trust me, this is gonna get real ugly, real fast"

"No, there's still too many variables, too many unknowns" said John "I need answers doctor and as fast as you can get them. That's all. Garibaldi. You're gonna cancel all leaves for security personnel. I've a hunch you're going to need them"

And of course Garibaldi was right about the chaos and riots. People started to panic as soon as the first sign informing of the quarantine was posted on customs. Security personnel were divided in two tasks… Keeping the order at customs and guarding the bays, and rounding up all the Markhabs on board for testing to Medlab.

Delenn and Talia were strolling through Zocalo that day, when they stumbled upon a Markhab child that had just found her dead father. However I did not know about it until later on. At the time I was busy at CnC diverting all incoming traffic. I called Talia to let her know that I might not make it home that night because of this situation.

Also, at the same time that this was happening, the Markhab Ambassador let John know that he felt that the reason for the disease to spread like it had, was not because of his people immorality, but other races. And in light of that, since we would not allow them to leave the station, they would seclude themselves in an isolated area of the station where they would pray and repent.

Things got worse from then on. Stephen's analysis proved that the disease was airborne, and after finding a Pak'Mara body in Brown Sector, it would appear that it had jumped species, pending an autopsy. Which Stephen's med team refused to perform because they were afraid of getting infected. So as he himself was about to go inside and perform the procedure, Dr Lazarenn came and volunteered himself for the task inside the isolation lab, because he wanted to atone, so after performing the autopsy he stayed inside to be monitored because he had contained the disease. The results of the autopsy, according to Stephen, proved that the disease had indeed jumped species.

"We've had three more incidents of violence against the Markhabs" I told the Captain over the Babcom system from CnC to his quarters "It's getting ugly out there as Garibaldi predicted. Some extreme human and alien groups say they've found a solution, wipe out the Markhabs you wipe out the problem"

"Seems I've heard that one before" he mused "How's their quarantine going?"

"Four thousand of the Five thousand estimated Markhab population on board has gone into the quarantine room. The rest haven't been found yet or they're hiding afraid to take the trip which of course puts them in danger if they're found by the others"

"Tell Garibaldi to take some people off the search teams and put them on patrol. If you can do the same with some of your people, please do. Any violence should be stopped immediately"

"Will do. Try to get some sleep Captain. I'll take first watch and have someone wake you in 4 hours. CnC out"

Somehow at some point, Delenn had talked the Captain into giving the order to security to let her and her companion through towards the quarantine area because they wanted to help as much as possible, willingly exposing them to a highly contaminated area.

Next day, around midday when I was about to head to my quarters for short nap and a shower, and hopefully check in with Talia, Dr. Franklin called John and myself to his office in order to give us a whole lecture into what he had discovered between the cross analysis of the Pak'Mara and the Markhab.

"So in other words an order comes from the brain to the gap but the chemicals that are supposed to relay the information to the next cell, don't work anymore?" asked John to Stephen

"Exactly!" came the excited response "The hearts not ordered to pump, the lungs aren't ordered to breathe… the body dies"

"Have you developed a profile of who's more prone to being infected?" I asked him

"The risk is confined to those races that use specialized cells to manufacture chemicals used in neural relays" he said "In Markhabs, the chemical is produced by yellow cells. In Pak'Maras it's the green cells. Now those are the ones targeted by the disease."

"Fortunately our bodies don't work that way" Added Dimitri "But given the chance the disease could mutate into something that could affect us all if we don't stop it now"

"So, what do we do?" asked John

"Well, we can't destroy the disease" started Franklin "but we can artificially stimulate yellow and green cell production with a series of regular injections, now those who receive the injections, overtime will produce stronger cells that would be capable of withstanding the disease. All my data shows it should work"

"Should?" I asked incredulously "You haven't tested it yet?"

"No. There was no time" he said glancing towards de isolab where Dr Lazarenn's body was covered by a sheet

"I have enough for 500 doses to start with, but we'll have to hurry" Said Stephen walking out towards the quarantined sector. John and I following close by.

As we walked there John asked the security team to send a message inside the quarantine zone.

"Any reply to our message yet?" asked John as soon as we reached them

"No sir" came the terse reply of one of Garibaldi's security team member

"Open it up"

Stephen was the first one in, and as soon as I got inside I could feel how Stephen and John were horrified not only by the sight of thousands of dead Markhab bodies, but the utter despair and horror we all felt at not being on time. My horror intensified the moment I got a whiff of the scent inside… my mate's scent was filled with fear and dread, surrounded by dead and … and then I saw Ambassador Delenn and Talia tiredly standing up upon seeing us.

"Talia!?" I rushed to her side and scanned her for signs of the disease "What! I don't understand. What are you doing here? Why are you here!" I asked frantically, beyond worried and scared for my mate.

"Take me home" she whispered pressing into me. So even when conflicted about the situation, I complied

That night as we were watching the news, we had a huge fight because I couldn't believe she could have done that. Going into such a dangerous situation without even letting me know, not giving me the chance to make peace with her decision, so of course I made an impulsive and rash decision.

* * *

**A/N**_: Ok… No words here to describe how grateful I am you are all still here, or how sorry I am for disappointing you in the time between updates._

_Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination. _


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